


Shattered Skies

by Catastrophe641



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Acute stress disorder, Alternate Universe - AceCombat04, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Video Game, Angst, Based Off The Storyline of One of My Favorite Childhood Video Games, Blood, Character Deaths, Court Rooms, Courtrooms, Diseases, Flashbacks, Graphic Description, I'll try to note them at the beginning of chapters though, Implied/Reference Child Soldiers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Lawyers, M/M, Mentions of PTSD, Military Operations, Minor Character Death, Mission Breifings, Missions, One-Sided Jean Kirstein/Marco Bott, Past Rape/Non-con, Recovery, Slight Annie/Bert, Some mentions of other ships, Tagging is so hard!, Trials, War, air force au, bad language, dog fights - like the ones between planes not actual dogs, graphic depictions of death, implied past eruri, implied sex, injuries, mentions of past eruri, military life, probably a whole slew of trigger warnings in reality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-04-19 06:55:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 66
Words: 83,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4736939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catastrophe641/pseuds/Catastrophe641
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shortly after the beginning of the new century, deep-space surveillance led to an alarming conclusion: the Earth would soon be struck by a group of small asteroids. In desperation, the Federation of Central Sina developed Stonewall, a massive anti-air ballistic weapon, in the center of the Three Sisters continent. The weapon, for the most part, worked. However, after the danger passed, Sina realized just how powerful a weapon it had. Using Stonewall, The Sina National Coalition established air superiority over the entire Three Sisters Territory. Conventional ground forces were no match for aerial barrage from the Sina air force, and Legion forces were forced to retreat to the island of Trost, beyond Stonewall's range. Weakened and fragmented, Legion learns of a final air strike to be conducted on their headquarters and scrambles what few elite pilots it has left to counter-attack. Follow the efforts of Legion, mostly through the eyes of one of its most elite pilots, as they take on a vital role in Legion’s efforts to defeat the SNC and finally end the war.</p><p>*Better Summary is better!*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sitting Duck

**Author's Note:**

> So amidst my childhood memories lie very fond ones of the PS2 video game: AceCombat04. I loved the story line a little too much! Thus, all these years later, you get this! A Crossover that follows the same premise, but with the characters and locations of Attack on Titan as the main playing field. Oh joy!
> 
> A lot of credit needs to go to the creators/writers/etc that put all that time and work into creating AceCombat04. And I will say now, that while I tried to edit as much of the speech into my own way of wording it as I could, some parts where just to good to change. They are not quoted or properly cited at all, but I am recognizing now that a few lines of this work are not my own original content.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

**_I was just a child when the stars fell from the sky, but I remember when we built a cannon to destroy them and in turn, how that cannon brought us war. War was an abstract concept, simply a show on T.V. And as a child, I saw it in some far away land, saw people with no faces, no names, holding the guns that fired. At least, that’s how it was, until that final day of summer…_ **

**_I was on my way to school that day, when I heard the sound like distant thunder. In the blue skies above me jets drew dizzying circles like a crazed waltz. A battle raged on in the beautiful skies far above…I could not tear my gaze from them._ **

**_There was a deafening roar. And a sharp silhouette appeared, as if to graze the grass atop the very hill I sat, and streaked past me. The fighters played cat or mouse in turn as they climbed ever higher. One of the fleeing planes, a yellow thirteen on its wings, disappeared into the distance and one of the planes fell from the sky, spewing orange flames as it spiraled to crash by the cape…_ **

**_The same cape where my family lived…_ **

**_Now they only live in my memories of the past…_ **

**_The victor circled to confirm his kill. And on his craft was a large number “00” emblazoned in blue…_ **

**_I will never forget this…_ **

_______________________________

The door shut behind him with a ‘click.’ His hand shot up to brush a stray strand of black hair from his face as he began the trek to the briefing room. The Chief would be briefing them on what would become the first mission in their counter strike against the enemy. Even after their victory at Quinta all those years ago, they had been forced to retreat and Legion’s chances of regaining what they had lost had been slim ever since.

But this new plan was supposed to be specifically devised to allow them to slowly regain ground once more, in hopes of finally ending this war that had dragged on for far too long.

The sound of his boots hitting the stone floor echoed through the empty halls. It wasn’t like him to be late, but this was his first day back on duty since the accident. And while on a test mission of all things.

It was supposed to be a simple affair in which he tested out the new model fighter jet to see how it handled, so he could give a review to his Chief, who was considering purchasing the newer model for the air force. But something had gone wrong and he lost control of the jet. When he ejected and pulled the parachute cord, it had wrapped around his ankle. The cord had pulled taught as air caught in the chute, his ankle quickly twisting out of position, leaving him with no choice but to be on medical leave for the last five months in order to recover.

His ankle would never be the same, but he was a fighter pilot; ankles weren’t as important for him.

He hurried down the corridor toward the briefing room. This was a last minute meeting, so it likely meant that they would have to head out as soon as the briefing was over. As he approached the door he could hear the chatter of those already inside. He flung the door open and was quick to take his seat at the table inside the room.

“You’re here, Levi.” The Chief noted. “Good, let’s get started. Hanji.” He gestured for the spectacled brunette at the front of the room to begin.

“Aw.” Hanji pouted. “You said you’d use the call signs! It’s my birthday after all!”

“Sky-Eye…” He sighed. “The floor is yours. Please get on with it. Time is of the essence.”

“Of course, Erwin! Thank you!” The woman grabbed a tablet from the table, flipping open a file as the screen behind her lit up in shades of blue and white.

“Good morning! As you all know today is September fifth, my birthday!” They shouted before their face grew serious. “But on to business. You will be briefed and then receive orders for deployment, effective immediately.”

“Late last night, enemy agents destroyed our early warning radar network, allowing several Wolf bombers to penetrate our air space. In approximately fifteen minutes, we expect this bomber formation to strike Shiganshina Air Base, and then move on to targets at Trost. Our air defense forces are extremely weak at this point in time; hence our general HQ is a sitting duck.”

“This is why we are enacting Operation Umbrella! It is mission critical that you destroy the bombers and neutralize the threat before they get past Tulsa Island. Remember, you are the first line of defense for Trost, and the fate of Legion lies in your hands.”

When they had finished going over the general plan of attack and formation that Erwin was suggesting be used, everyone was quick to get to their feet and head for the hangars. Heading out the doors to the main deck, the salty sea's air clung to Levi’s skin. It wasn’t a feeling he enjoyed, but this was home until the war ended.

The L.S. Rogue was a large aircraft carrier, larger than most, that housed Legion’s commanding officer and its finest air squad, Wings of Freedom. Each member had their own fighter jet: an F-22 Raptor. Only the pinnacle of modern aviation was used by the Legion and right now the Raptor was it.

Only part of the squad would be going, despite all of them being briefed. This was a failsafe that Erwin insisted be put in place. Should one member fall while a mission was ongoing, there was to be at least two other squad members left behind and prepped for immediate take off. It insured a higher success rate and after what had happened with the last squad…

Let’s just say things hadn’t been ideal on that particular mission, hence the new failsafe that had been put into effect.

This would be the first time Levi flew with his new squad and he was more than a little worried. Part of that concern came from the fact that his newly acquired life partner was on the squad now. Individuals who were involved romantically weren’t supposed to be allowed to work on the same missions or squads: conflict of interests the rule book stated.

But Erwin had made an exception to the rules this time, claiming that Levi and Eren had just worked too well together to not put them on the same squad. Said it was riskier for them to be apart than to be together.

The bastard; he was probably just still pissed off that Levi hadn’t chosen him back in the day.

They didn’t have much time to work with today before they had to be in the air, but it never failed. Just like clockwork…

He felt a hand come down gently on his shoulder. “Hey.” He turned to meet dazzling green eyes.

“Hey.” Eren just huffed out a quiet laugh.

Then he pulled Levi into a tight hug. “You be careful up there, got it?”

“When am I not careful?”

“True, but still…I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Levi hated this part. The quick ‘stay safe’ parting was never enough in all honesty. But it would have to do. He gave the younger a quick peck on the lips. “Same to you, kid. You stay safe as well.” And Levi was turning to climb into his jet.

“I love you.” He heard Eren call out before his helmet closed into place over his head.

 _Yeah kid…love you too._ He thought as he watched the glass slide shut over him and felt the jet rumble to life. He sent up a prayer to anyone listening and was thankful for a moment that Eren was on standby today.

This would be the day that he would see what the others could do. He hoped on high that no one fucked up, because Legion only got one more shot at this. Today was their shot at redemption and the world would be watching.

It was time for them to stop being a damn sitting duck.


	2. File #23654

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classified Legion documents. Shh! Don't tell no one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter (in the form of a requested document) that is necessary to fill everyone in on the history/back-story of the main plot line. Gives you an idea of what is going on and where things stand currently.

**_*Note: This document is official property of Legion HQ. If you are in possession of this document without the assigned clearance level you are subject to court martial and shall receive a dishonorable discharge. If you are not a Legion soldier, you are punishable by imprisonment and subject to a trial in a Legion court. Possible charges may include, but are not limited to: treason, espionage, conspiracy, etc. If you turn this document in, claiming to have found it, you are still subject to extensive investigation by a Legion team._ **

**_____________________________**

**File # 23654**

**Classified: Level 1 Clearance Only**

**Report requested by: Legion Chief Master Sergeant Erwin Smith**

**Date requested: September 1 st, 2015**

**Date delivered: September 4 th, 2015**

**Summary: The following document compiles events of the discovery and impact of the infamous asteroid “Delta 2004XF94.” Also included is a brief analysis of Legion’s current standing in The Second War of the Three Sisters, as well as, a brief look at the status of Legion’s Wings of Freedom squad at the beginning of the war.**

**_____________________________**

**Report Text:**

In October of 2004, the University of Stohess with the aid of Karanese University’s Stohess campus discovered Delta 2004XF94 and using the latest computer technology calculated its trajectory. At the time their findings were disclosed only to the Federation of Central Sina (FCS), who requested that further research on the celestial body be done. A special team of the most prominent geologists and astronomers of the time were brought together by the International Astrology Union, later concluding, in December, that Delta was a mile in diameter and was on a collision course for Earth, predicted to make impact sometime in the following years.

According to the investigators, Delta would pass through the Roche limit on July 3rd of 2009 at 15:30 Sina Standard Time, at which point it would shatter into fragments and blanket the Three Sisters Territory with the strength of two million nuclear warheads, plunging the planet into a nuclear winter. The FCS chose to maintain complete confidentiality over the matter after political and cultural considerations. They sought answers from the Aerospace Society, realizing later that a solution would require aid from their allies.

In April of 2006, FCS president Rod Reiss publicly revealed Delta’s existence and its potential impact in a press conference, inciting commotion and worldwide shock. That same day, the Secretary of State, Carlo Pikale _(deceased)_ , attended an emergency conference with the Three Sisters Treaty Organization, where it was proposed that a National Missile Defense system be created.

Despite skepticism over such a device’s potential for further uses, a mutual agreement was reached by the leaders of Maria, Rose, and Sina. The final defense plan was announced by Pikale himself after considerations of a worst case scenario, though details weren’t revealed. After the conference, the FCS conceived of a weapon which became known as Project STN.

This project was an array of rail guns known as the Stonewall Turret Network, which was later built in the uninhabited desert area to the west of Utopia Village.

Other systems where built to engage Delta, including the Titan missile silo in the Mitras area.

Portrayed as the ultimate savior, Stonewall was declared complete in June 2008. Rose and Maria both announced that they were willing to collaborate, but due to their efforts to rebuild after the Underground War they were unable to do so.

Later that month, further analysis of Delta revealed it had a hollow interior. The University of Stohess quickly recalculated their findings with help from the Astrology Union, determining that Earth’s gravity and the new mass of the asteroid would instead cause it to split into two large fragments.

A report was released to the FCS and Stonewall’s capabilities where quickly reviewed, because it had been determined that a larger area would be struck than initially suspected. The FCS refused to make revisions to Stonewall to avoid international problems. Maria soon expressed their discontent, because their territory would be left out of Stonewall’s reach.

It was suggested that vessels and aircrafts would evacuate the areas of Maria most likely to be hit. It was also suggested that underground shelters be built and that those who owned large homes or castles in Rose be prepared to house refugees. By December 2008, two hundred impact shelters had been built all across the outskirts of Rose and extensive preparations for food, water, and shelter had been made.

On June 3rd, 2009, Delta split into two halves and then shattered into fragments that covered the territories of Sina, Rose, and Maria. Stonewall and Titan ensured the safety of those in Sina and of some in Rose, but many areas where annihilated, especially in Maria.

Nearly a year later, refugees were still housed in Rose – the situation dire because of crime and disease. Sina soon closed its borders to refugees, making the situation in Rose worse. This lead to heated disputes between the FCS and Rose’s governments, which ended in the FCS taking control of Stonewall, sparking the beginning of The War of the Three Sisters.

The war marked the formation of Legion: a coalition between Rose and Maria to regain control of the Rose/Sina border, over throw the corrupted Sina government, and put Stonewall in the hands of a capable military entity.

By early 2010, Legion had infiltrated Sina territory and was closing in on the members of the elite Sina military air squad, the Scarface Squadron, who protected the Stonewall facility. In March, Legion sent its elite air squad, Wings of Freedom, consisting of Legions top five aviators, to take out Scarface, which would allow ground forces to move on Stonewall and over take it.

The morning of August 24th, Legion intercepted a message from the FCS going out to the Scarface Squadron, telling them to head toward Maria territory to intercept an important convoy of supplies that was headed toward Legion HQ. The Freedom squad was immediately dispatched.

At 1124hrs the two squads met over the coastal cape town of Quinta. The dog fight that ensued was brutal, wiping out all but one member of the Freedom squad. F-22 Raptor number ‘00’ pursued the two remaining Scarface fighter jets; the first got away untouched, the second was shot down into the cape.

The next day Legion ground forces advanced on Stonewall. The Three Sisters War came to an end with the Treaty of Sina. It was agreed that Stonewall would be dismantled and decommissioned.

On September 3rd of 2010, the Sina National Coalition, founded by a previously unknown, underground movement, launched a campaign to retake Stonewall. This marked the beginning of The Second War of the Three Sisters. Legion warned them to stand down and back off. The SNC retaliated by launching a surprise attack on Legion forces at their newly formed HQ. Being caught off guard and unable to gain air superiority, Legion retreated to Rose territory.

A long series of defeats over the next five years has pushed Legion into Southern Maria territory. As of today, September 3rd, 2015, this is where Legion remains. No territory has been gained and the SNC controls Stonewall, using it as an anti-air gun against the Legion air force.

**_____________________________**

**Wings of Freedom Squad Status (as of August 25 th, 2010):**

            1. Petra Rahl (deceased)

            2. Gunther Shultz (deceased)

            3. Eld Jinn (deceased)

            4. Oluo Bozado (deceased)

            5. Levi Ackerman

**_____________________________**

**War Outlook:**

Current Situation: Dire

Stonewall Defenses: Impenetrable

Outlook for the Future: Poor


	3. Operation Umbrella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first mission of the New Special Ops Squad!

**-Operation Umbrella-**

**-Location: Southern Maria-**

**-Shiganshina Air Base-**

**-Sept.5.2015-**

**-1405hrs-**

**-Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy all enemy bombers.-**

**_____________________________**

“Callsign Sky-Eye here. Do you read?” Hanji’s voice crackled through his headset. Oh, how he hated these in air names.

“This is Ace. Reading you loud and clear Sky-Eye.” He responded.

“Six bombers on vector three-six-zero confirmed. Continue north to intercept. Since today’s my birthday, a victory sure would be nice!”

Of course Hanji would try to use their birthday luck on them. Levi glanced down to check his gauges. Seeing that everything was clear he radioed in to his fellow squad mates to try and clear the air.

“This is Ace. Roll call.”

“Convict checking in.”

“Spud checking in.”

“Horse checking in.”

“Bitch checking in.”

Who the fuck gave these brats their callsigns? Shit, that reminded him; if this mission was a success and there were no casualties he’d have to take part in the inevitable squad bonding meeting that Hanji would host and force everyone to attend. Jesus, that would be a trip.

His radar suddenly locked onto what appeared to the naked eye as a small black speck in the distance. He checked his gauges.

Speed: 783 miles per hour and climbing.

Altitude: 5662 feet above sea level.

950 rounds in his guns, 82 missiles, and if his radar was working right about 2259 meters to target.

“Ace you are free to engage.” Sky-Eye’s voice rang out over his headset.

“We got company!” Bitch’s voice called out. “I can’t get close to the bombers because of their air support!”

Levi listened to his radar squeal as it locked onto two targets. But the squealing suddenly stopped when the other jet maneuvered away to fight someone else.

“Aw shit! Here he comes!” Convict needed to calm down.

His radar locked on to the jet heading for him and he quickly pressed the small red button that sent a missile soaring. He had no time to see if it hit target. That’s part of what Hanji was for.

“Target destroyed! Three, no two, remaining guys.”

A jet went whizzing right over the top of Levi. He slowed his speed; quickly maneuvering up, twisting his jet into a tight turn to lock on before it got two far away. His radar screamed; missile launched.

“Woo!” Spud called out. “Great maneuver, Ace!”

“Target is bombing the city. Horse, he’s on your six.” Sky-Eye reported.

He swung back around toward the base, eyes peeled and radar scanning, trying to seek out the bomber that had begun to drop its packages. Then he saw it, just to his left. He slowed, letting himself fall just behind it. He let his radar scream at him for a while, making sure that it was properly locked on before launching two missiles. He watched as the bomber exploded into a ball of fire, flaming shrapnel fluttering down to the waters below. There was still one bomber left to take down and the rest of the squad was busy with the enemy air support. That’s when a new voice crackled through the com set.

“This is Shiganshina. We are under attack! The runway and facilities are hit!” Someone from the airbase below informed them.

“I’ve got this guy!” Horse called out. “He’s right there!”

But the missiles Horse fired missed, exploding mid air before reaching the target. As the kids astonished sputtering came over the com set, Levi flew in at high speed, launching two missiles at close range and just narrowly missing the debris from the bomber as it exploded just beneath him.

“Great job, Ace! Mission complete, everyone.”

There was some collective whooping from the others as the few remaining enemy fighters high tailed it out of Shiganshina air space. The base below radioed in again suddenly.

“Sky-Eye, this is Shiganshina. We have a visual on the downed bombers. Whoever made that last kill, be sure to thank them for us.”

“Let’s head home!” Someone hollered and more excited cries commenced.

Levi just took the moment to let his racing heart calm itself. He was going home. He let his eyes drift to his glove covered left hand, feeling the cool press of the ring on his finger. Eren would be excited to see him, especially after a victory like this one.

He couldn’t wait.

But he would have to…

**_____________________________**

Sitting around the meeting table once more, the squad was awaiting their debriefing. Once this was over, they were free to go for some short, but much needed downtime, before Erwin gave them their next orders. Erwin, as per usual, cleared his throat so everyone would quiet down and Hanji could begin.

“Thanks to your efforts, the enemy bomber strike was averted. But this victory will be meaningless if our next mission is failed.” The room was tense for a moment. “But you guys did a wonderful job! Thank you for the birthday present!” And then Hanji was back to their bubbly ass self.

“I must agree.” Erwin piped up. “I hope this will be the first in a long string of victories. Don’t let me down. Legion is riding on your abilities.” And leave it to him to bring the mood back down to shit.

Everyone began to talk amongst themselves until Hanji interrupted once more. “Now I know you are all eager to go off and wallow in the pride of your victory and celebrate…but it is customary when a squad is formed for them to bond after the first victory, even if some of you weren’t there in the flesh. You are all still a part of this squad, therefore the bonding ritual must commence!”

He was so sick of their bullshit. “You aren’t even an official member shit for brains.”

They flung a hand over their heart. “You wound me.” They added a dramatic flick of their head and some fake sobs to top it off. “If it weren’t for me, your squad would be nothing! Why can’t you love me and accept me for who I am, Levi!?” He side stepped before they could cling to him and watched as they plummeted to the floor instead.

“You are fucking ridiculous and I don’t have time for this. Some of us have spouses we’d rather spend time with after a life threatening mission you dimwit. I’ll get to know all these new brats later.” And with that he grabbed Eren’s wrist and marched out the door, trailing his laughing husband with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is welcome!


	4. Memory Lane (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part of how Eren and Levi came to be Eren and Levi.

Eren continued to laugh as Levi practically dragged him down the hall. He couldn’t really help it though. He expected Levi to be eager to see him, but he hadn’t expected this. Although he probably should have; because ever since Eren had broken through to him (which had been no easy feat), Levi had been quite unpredictable in his affections.

______________________________

Eren had met Levi two years after the mission that had cost him his squad. He had just been a transfer back then, above a cadet ranking, but treated like one by most members of Legion. He had started out in Maria’s air force, getting out of training when the War of the Three Sisters was already well underway. He had done well enough that he had been promoted to Airman First Class (A1C), but he still had nothing on Levi, who at the time held the rank of Master Sergeant (MSgt).

Since Levi was without a squad he had simply been overseeing other squad’s operations and had been doing a lot of training exercises, equipment testing, and paperwork. It was easy enough to see just by looking at him that he was testy and best not approached unless ordered to do so; which in Eren’s case is exactly what had happened.

He hadn’t transferred alone though. His two best friends, Mikasa and Armin, and transferred with him, although Armin wasn’t a pilot; he was a comptroller and technical analyst. Neither of them had been too happy to find out that Chief Smith had ordered Eren to participate in a training simulation that would be used as an example for the new recruits Legion was bringing in that day.

He had been more than a little nervous as he had prepared to climb into his jet. And seeing Legion’s highest ranking pilot prepping to go into a dog fight against him just across the runway didn’t help either. It didn’t matter that these jets where equipped not with live ammo, but with lasers and special sensors and a new training missile that wouldn’t explode, but did hone in on another set of sensors on the jets. He was still going up against a legend, a man who had shot down four enemy fighters with only his machine guns on his first mission.

The mysteries behind Levi where endless; no one knew where he came from or how Legion found him, but they did know that he came in already trained beyond the typical air force standards. He flew a jet like it was a stunt plane, something that was dangerous and up until Legion’s air force had accepted Levi as a pilot, had been outlawed. Basic air acrobatics was now part of Legion’s advanced air force training, a requirement for anyone seeking a slot on the infamous special ops squad.

And now Eren was about to face off, one-on-one, with the legend himself. You’d have to be crazy not to be nervous in that kind of situation. But he went through with it, giving it his all.

They soared through the air like two birds in a dance of death; swooping high and low, twisting and turning, looping around one another, trying to get in a good shot.

And when it was over, Eren’s jet having been hit by Levi’s lasers in such a way that had it been actual rounds he would have fallen from the sky, he was surprised to find out that he had in fact gotten several very good shots off on the other’s jet. In fact, most of them, if it had been a real dog fight, would have resulted in severe technical difficulties or damage that would have incapacitated the aircraft and forced the pilot to either eject or to return to base for repairs.

He had stood there shell shocked and slack jawed as he took in the collected data of the skirmish and it only added to his disbelief when the legend himself had gentle laid a slim hand on his shoulder, given a rough pat, and had said _not bad_.

That had been when his world was suddenly turned upside down. There had been an incredibly high number of new recruits and transfers that year, all of which had lower ranks than Mikasa and himself. It was customary for everyone ranking A1C and under to occupy the same, sex segregated bunks. But Legion’s current facility was not at all prepared for the increase in men.

So it had come as a shock, when he, Mikasa, and several other new transfers, where promoted to Senior Airman (SrA) status. Not that any of them where complaining, but Eren especially didn’t feel he deserved the title yet. There had been several promotions handed out at the time, including Levi’s jump to Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt), two ranks above his previous ranking. A lot took place very quickly over a two month period of time and the next thing Eren knew he had been called into the Chief’s office only to find that Levi was there as well.

He had been told that he would be working alongside Levi in testing out a series of new projectile missiles for the F-22. Later, he would come to find out that Levi had actually requested him. Either way he would have been equally as excited as he had been, barely containing the smile that threatened to spread across his face. He had three days to prepare before they would be shipped off to a remote base to the south for the testing.

Three days later at four a.m. he was climbing into the passenger seat of an air force vehicle with Levi behind the wheel. It took them five hours to reach the base and they were promptly escorted to a small building to the side of the main complex. The building was likely once the home of a commanding officer, but since most of the military had all been consolidated within Legion small bases like this one were no longer used to house high level officials. They were now used as training and testing facilities.

He and Levi would be staying in the building together for the duration of their testing trial, which was set to last about two months so long as there were no major enemy attacks.

That meant sharing a room…

With Levi…

His idol…

For two months…

Well shit…

He was screwed; so very screwed. That’s what he had thought at the time.

He hadn’t expected Levi, with his permanent scowl, resting bitch face, and cold demeanor, to be a pleasant person to be around. He hadn’t expected that the man would like to drink tea, albeit he held his cup in a particularly odd way. He never would have expected to see the man smile, to see him open up and willingly talk about the things he had been through in his time with Legion, though he never once mentioned his true past or where he had come from. The earliest he ever went back where the days he had briefly spent in a Legion training base. Eren never expected to get to know the man, the myth, the legend. He never expected to become his friend.

He never considered that it might have been something more to the other.

It was on their fourth week at the base that the man in charge of overseeing the tests had let it slip that Levi had requested Eren be the one to accompany him. It had been a simple conversation between him and Eren and the information had just come out given what they were talking about. Eren had casually brought it up later that evening over dinner as Levi sat across from him at the table.

Levi had only paused in his movements for a singular moment. He had casually set his fork down and looked up at Eren, face as blank as ever.

“Yes, I did request you. Because you’re good, you’re talented, and that’s the kind of thing that I look for when I consider new squad members and when Erwin wants me to look into possible people to promote. We need skilled pilots and you’ve got skill kid. You’ve got more skill than a lot of people and you’ve got drive to go behind it. Keep it up and survive this war and you could go places.”

Eren had watched as he had pushed his chair out, picking up his almost emptied plate, and headed for the kitchen. He was mulling over Levi’s words, paying little attention to the sounds of the dishes clanking in the sink. He didn’t even hear Levi come back into the room, but he felt the fingers card into his hair, ruffling up the already tattered mess, before they disappeared and Levi brushed passed him as he exited to head off to his own room for the night.

It was the next night that Eren pushed.

“I don’t believe you.” He’d said out of the blue as they sat in the den area, Levi with a book in his hands and Eren staring at the screen of a Legion issued laptop.

Levi had simply looked up from his book, expression unchanging except for a single raised eyebrow. “About what?”

“I don’t believe the only reason you requested _me_ is because I’m skilled and show promise. There are so many others who already hold a higher position, whose skills have been weathered over the years by wars, and you know you can count on them. I’m young and foolish and still not over my own ego complex from my training days. I could get you hurt, or worse, _killed_! Hell, I could be an enemy insurgent for all you know! So why the _fuck_ did you pick _me_?!”

It had been an emotional outburst on Eren’s part, something he thought he had gotten over doing years ago. He had even set the laptop down next to him and had stood up in the middle of it, fists clenched tightly at his sides, face red and breathing heavy.

“You done?” Was all Levi had uttered.

He took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. “Yeah…sorry.” He looked down at the floor before closing the laptop. “I’m gonna call it a night.”

He had just turned the corner into the hallway when Levi spoke up. “You aren’t wrong.” He stopped, stepping back into the archway and looking at his superior. “You aren’t wrong.” Levi actually seemed to be musing to himself, rather than talking to Eren. His head was hung low, the book set aside onto the coffee table, his hands fidgeting with a loose thread on one of his socks.

Even though he was looking down, he knew Eren was there in the archway. “I’m not good at this.” His voice was so quiet, so hushed. “I’ve never been good at this.” For the first time Eren could see the walls the man had up crumble ever so slightly, his mask, his façade, begin to come loose.

There was a certain vulnerability to the way Levi sat curled up in the chair, legs tucked under him as he sat there in his pajama pants, thick socks, and oversized t-shirt. Eren almost felt like he was an intruder, but he was well aware that Levi was addressing him. “We don’t have to talk then. It’s whatever. I don’t know why I was so concerned with it anyway.”

He went to leave but was stopped. “No, Eren. Wait.” Levi was out of the chair now and had made it halfway across the room in that small amount of time. “I want to talk about it.”

And so they talked. Eren found out that Levi had always told people he was asexual to avoid the fact that he was gay.

Said it was easier to go into the armed forces when he had saying that you weren’t really interested in sex with anyone, be they man, woman, or otherwise, than to be gay.

Said things had changed since then, but he had never gotten around to worming his way out of the lie he had created.

Said that not even the people he kept closest knew his deep, dark secret.

Said the reason he had chosen Eren had been because he was skilled and showed promise, but that it might have been a bit more than that.

Levi said that he had chosen Eren, because he was skilled, showed incredible promise, and because it put Levi’s stomach in knots every time he looked at him, made his heart beat faster every time they were within close proximity to each other, made him weak in the knees when Eren looked at him from across the room, and because no one, not once, had ever gotten a shot off on him, until Eren had climbed into that jet to do a practice simulation for the newbies all those months before.

Levi said something about Eren made him feel things he’d never felt before. Levi told Eren he wouldn’t push for more than the friendship they had created, but he needed to get it off his chest that he felt more than just that toward the younger man.

It was crazy, maybe a little bit stupid too, since it would need to be kept under wraps, but Eren had never felt so sure of anything before. He’d never really taken the time to evaluate his sexuality; people had hinted at him being gay or bisexual before, but he never took them seriously. But in that moment, with Levi looking so unsure of himself, so completely open for the first time since Eren had come to know him, he couldn’t help but to give it a chance.

Sure it would be awkward if things fell apart, if they didn’t work out. Sure they could get in massive trouble if word ever got out that they were involved, even more trouble if by some mad happenstance they ended up on the same squad. But something about Levi made Eren not care, made him believe that it was worth the risk to give it a go.

Because what if it worked out? What if it was perfect? What if it was meant to be? What if this was fate? Destiny? Providence?

So he kissed him. Eren kissed Levi with every ounce of emotion he could muster up and Levi kissed back. And then they were moving.

Hands grasping, groping, mapping.

Tongues touching, licking, tasting.

Breaths mingled and heavy.

Eyes closed tight, almost as if opening them for even a second would make whatever this was vanish into thin air.

Teeth nipped and nibbled at lips, along necks, on clavicles.

And then they were falling, soft clouds catching them as they tangled themselves together in a naked embrace.

So their secret affair began by spending their remaining two weeks at the training facility in partially uninterrupted bliss. When they arrived back at the main base, they continued on in secret. Eren’s friends noticed nothing. He was still his same old self and just as busy and determined as ever. But Levi was not so lucky. Those close to him noticed almost immediately that something was off.

Hanji caught him humming in his office.

Erwin found him smiling down at his tea one day.

They both saw how his eyes lingered a bit too long on Eren every time he was around.

And it would be Levi’s actions that led to them finding out without having to ask questions.


	5. Memory Lane (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second part of how Eren and Levi came to be Eren and Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some brief angst up in this bitch.

Eren found it funny how childish Levi could be when it came to their relationship. He was very selfish, not wanting Eren to share his spare time with others. It was not uncommon for Eren to turn a corner and suddenly be yanked into a presumably empty room for a quick make out session or called into Levi’s office during oddball hours for a quick fuck. But most of the time it was simply Levi wanting his presence nearby.

More often than not Levi would sneak Eren into his office or would sneak off to find Eren so that he could give him a tight hug or curl up against him, rather akin to a cat. But on one particular day Levi needed more than a hug; which is why he had tugged Eren into, of all places, the cleaning closet for what was supposed to be a quick kiss.

That idea had flown out the window, though, when Eren’s hands had managed to untuck Levi’s shirt and make their way up his chest to toy with his nipples. Eren was seated atop some stacked boxes; Levi planted firmly in his lap, now a panting, moaning mess when the door opened. Their stood Hanji and Erwin, apparently needing some supplies to clean up the mess Hanji had made in their office down the hall. Neither of them knew why Erwin was with them or why he had agreed to help, but that was the last thing on either of their minds, given the situation.

Fifteen minutes later found them in Erwin’s office, clothes still rumpled and out of place, very guilty looks adorning their faces. Erwin was quiet, face blank, leaning back in his leather chair with his hands drawn up to steeple before his mouth as he gazed upon them both and thought.

Eren was unaware, but Levi had turned in the proper paperwork to have Eren transferred as the first addition to the new special ops squad Erwin wanted him to put together. This was why Erwin was being so critical.

If he transferred Eren now and this relationship came to light or fell apart later on, then all of them would get in trouble for it, especially if the Legion court found evidence that Erwin knew of the relationship when he transferred Eren to the squad. As the Chief of Legion’s air force, he needed to make this relationship go away and keep them apart.

But he had seen how happy Levi was, had seen the changes in the usually stoic man’s demeanor. Eren was good for Levi. As Levi’s friend, as just Erwin Smith, he needed to find a way to make this work without there being too many questions asked by the higher ups.

Erwin spoke, after much thought. “I don’t know when this started or how. But first and foremost, if I sign off on the request form that you have submitted, Levi, then this will all blow up at some point and the likelihood of a court case ending in all of us being discharged is high. So this is what’s going to happen. The two of you are going to leave here as though this was nothing more than a social call. I will speak with Hanji about keeping their mouth shut for a few weeks.”

“That should give the two of you ample time to prepare for the next part of this plan. I know you aren’t going to like this, Levi especially. But if you both plan on continuing this little affair of yours, you will both come to my office at some point in the next two weeks and act as though I knew nothing of it. You will then explain the situation, the _whole_ situation, and the proper paperwork for a relationship between soldiers of different rank will be filed.”

“You will not submit a form requesting that Eren be transferred to your squad and I will not accept such a request if it is submitted, _until_ at which time the two of you are either married and can prove that your relationship will not compromise a mission’s success _or_ this relationship comes to an end and the two of you can prove that you can work together so that mission success is not compromised. Understood?”

The two of them had vocalized their understanding and had been dismissed. The two went their separate ways, not even sharing a look as they headed off to take care of things; Levi paperwork, Eren the assigned chores he had for the day.

Long after the sun had set and dinner had been served, Levi found himself outside enjoying the night air. He had pulled an old pack of cigarettes from his desk’s drawer; a habit long since broken, but now being fallen back upon in his moment of stress and over thinking. He was so wrapped up in those thoughts that he failed to hear Eren approach.

“Didn’t know you smoked?” He leaned up against the same wall Levi had propped himself against.

“I don’t.”

“Sure looks like you do.”

“Well I fucking don’t.” Levi snapped back.

Eren’s eyebrows drew together. “What is your problem?”

Levi pushed himself forward off the wall, turning in an almost hostile manner toward the younger man next to him. “What’s my problem? What’s my _fucking_ problem?” He was practically hissing. “The highest commanding officer of the Legion Air Force walked in on us in a fucking storage closet while we were getting handsy, Eren. I am risking my entire world right now and I don’t know what to do. I have a choice. A choice I don’t want to have to make; that’s being _forced_ on me. I either stay with you and risk losing everything I have worked for or I push you away and go on like this never happened. The latter of which my mind says to choose, the former being the one my heart wants. That is my problem, brat, and it should be your damn problem, too!”

The silence that followed could have killed a man. But then the sound of Levi’s heavy breathing pushed through and broke it. Eren’s face went painfully blank. He ran his tongue over his lips in an irritated manner before he found his words. “If you loved me like you say you do, then there isn’t a choice to make Levi.”

His next breathe caught in his throat as he listened to Eren go on. “It’s not my problem because I know my decision.” Levi nearly cringed as the next words flowed from Eren’s lips. “It’s you, Levi…It will always be you.”

They remained silent, Levi finally coming back to rest against the wall, his head falling back at an angle to rest against the stone as well. Eren stayed put, heart beating fast, feeling a little hurt at Levi’s words.

Levi finally spoke, his voice soft, almost cracking, like thunder only heard on the wind. “You know it’s not that easy for me.”

Those words stung, bit at Eren’s very core. But he understood that emotions like this were something Levi was inexperienced in and not used to dealing with; this was hard for Levi and Eren could not hold that against him, no matter how much he might want to.

Levi was not young, though he wasn’t old either, but he had experienced things that some men twice his age had yet to go through and possibly never would go through. Levi had everything to risk by continuing this relationship; because if he was discharged from Legion right now, before he could retire on his own, before he could be released honorably…he would have nothing. There would be nowhere for him to go, no one for him to turn to.

Eren pushed away from the wall. He had known that the bliss wouldn’t last forever, but he hadn’t expected it to be like this. He started to walk away, but he paused, looking back over his shoulder as Levi lifted a shaking hand up to take a drag off his cigarette. “Let me know what you decide. You know where to find me.”

Levi was left to his thoughts, watching as the moon raised high into the night sky.

He didn’t sleep that night. Neither of them did, actually. A day passed and they didn’t speak. The tension between the two of them made any room they both occupied, even for the briefest of moments, hard for everyone to stay in. That day turned into two and three and four and finally a week had passed and they still had yet to talk to one another about that night.

On day twelve, two days before the deadline to speak with Erwin came around, Levi suddenly snatched Eren as he was closing the cleaning closet door. Eren sputtered and protested, demanding to know what was going on and why he was being dragged away. Of course, Levi refused to give him an answer, remaining quiet as he drug Eren down the hall toward Erwin’s office.

He didn’t bother knocking when they got there either, simply barged right in with Eren in tow, kicking the door shut behind them and then pushing Eren down into one of the chairs. Erwin looked up at them, stopping mid sentence in the telephone conversation he was having. Levi promptly snatched the receiver from him, snapping out a quick _he’ll call you back later_ , and slammed the phone down, effectively hanging it up.

Erwin gave him an unimpressed look. “That was an important call regarding our funding. When I have to make cuts, your tea supply will be going first.”

“Screw off. I don’t care about my tea at the moment. We have something more important to discuss.”

“Is that so? What _ever_ could it be?” Sarcasm did not look good on Erwin. It just made him look shitty.

Levi took a deep breath and spilled. He spoke clearly and surprisingly calm as he recounted the entire tale of how he and Eren had come to be. And when he was finished he spoke with absolute conviction when he said, “It was wrong of us to keep this in the dark as long as we did, but it was necessary to determine if we were compatible long term. We have concluded that we seem to be and would like to continue to pursue this avenue in a manner that does not break protocol. I am requesting two copies of form number two-five-nine-one-oh, so that both Eren and myself can fill them out and turn them in as soon as possible for processing, sir.”

Eren appeared to be in shock, but there was a huge grin forming on his face. Erwin wasn’t sure what had happened between them, but he’d seen the aftermath long enough to know it had been bad. He casually pulled two forms from the filing cabinet next to his desk and laid them out for each to take. “You’ll each need to schedule a time to speak with our resident psychologist in order to be cleared for this. I hope that won’t be an issue.”

______________________________

Obviously things went well or the two wouldn’t have rings on their fingers and be racing off to their shared room to do publicly inappropriate things to one another. There was always a giddiness that swept over them both when one or both of them returned safely from a mission. It made things that much more enjoyable between them, and if there was one sound in the world that Levi would choose to constantly hear it was Eren’s laughter.

And that laughter was echoing down the halls as they raced through the ship’s interior, headed straight for the area that had been designated their home-away-from-home so that no one in the other wings had to hear their night time escapades. Going a bit too fast through one of the doorways had Eren tripping up, but it was really not a problem, because at that very moment Levi had decided to sweep Eren off his feet, being that they weren’t far from their room, and carry him bridal style the rest of the way.

Eren was sure he’d never laughed harder or been happier.


	6. The New Special Ops Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get to know the members of the Special Ops Squad with some drinking and story time.

**The Three Rules of Callsigns:**

  1. **If you don't have one already, you will be given one by your "buddies".**
  2. **You won't like it, probably.**
  3. **If you whine and gripe too much about 1 and 2, you'll get a new nickname you'll like even less!**



**How do you get a callsign?  
**

  * **Do something stupid or have it fit with your last name. Sometimes it’s based on a physical appearance. If you earn the respect of your buddies, maybe you’ll get a ‘heroic’ callsign. They are subject to change.**



______________________________

It was two days later that Hanji finally convinced Levi to have a get together so that the new squad could bond. He was none too happy about it, but it was necessary if they were to be able to work with one another while in the air.

The sun had long set on the horizon when the last of them shuffled into the mess hall. Hanji had transformed the room, having borrowed (stolen) some of the comfy chairs from the officer’s wing to spread throughout instead of the mess hall’s usual folding metal chairs. They had also obtained an unusual amount of high dollar liquor, which had Levi raising a questioning brow. It wasn’t uncommon for there to be a few bottles of the expensive stuff lying around, typically in the locked bottom drawer of a higher ups desk. But this much was suspicious on their part.

Someone was trying to find a tuner on the radio that was playing music instead of broadcasting military reports, finally finding one that was playing classic instrumental music. It was better than nothing. One of the females had already dug off into the snacks provided on the far side of the room. The others seemed to be finding a place to sit amongst the chairs.

When they were all seated, Hanji spoke up. “So who wants to get us started?”

“You aren’t one of us Hanji, so fuck off.” Levi quipped.

They paid him no mind, continuing on in their speech. “Anyone? All you have to do is tell us your name, rank, and callsign, then go into how you got your callsign. We want to know the dirty truth behind the names that are your worst nightmares!”

“Hanji, the story isn’t important. No one likes to relive how they got there callsign.”

“Are you saying you don’t either? Because yours has bragging rights!”

“Shut up and leave already. God, you’re giving me the biggest headache.”

“Who’s first!?” They bounced in their seat as they ignored Levi further.

They all looked at one another. Most of them knew each other from some point in time, be it training or past regiments. “I guess I’ll go.”

He was a young man with warm eyes and a gentle smile. His face was spattered with freckles. “I’m Marco Bodt, A1C. My callsign is Freckles. I think it should be obvious why.”

A few people sniggered at that. The man next to him spoke up next. “I’m Jean Kirstein, A1C as well. Callsign…” He sighed. “Horse. Don’t you fucking laugh, Eren! Got it from that bastard who wouldn’t shut up about how I looked like a horse.” He huffed and leaned back in his chair in an attempt to hide.

Eren continued to giggle from his place across the circle they had formed. “Why don’t you tell everyone how you got your name, _Eren_?” Jean said in retaliation.

Eren leaned forward. “Fine. I’ll own up to it, even if it is embarrassing. Eren Jaeger, now Ackerman. Staff Sergeant. Callsign P-E. That’s short for Premature Ejection, not ejaculation you immature, giggling fucks.” He gave a pointed look to a couple of the men in the circle. “Got the name back in my training days when I accidentally hit the eject button while sitting still on the damn runway; most embarrassing moment of my life.”

A round of laughter had gone off as he finished up. Things went smoothly after that.

“Connie Springer, A1C. Callsign Convict. So back in the training days, a buddy and I had left the base during downtime. Well, there was this, uh, brothel, a hooch, ya know, that he liked to frequent and I always got dragged along with him. So I go in, don’t even mess with the girls; just sit in the lobby waiting for him, because he’s my ride.”

“He comes out and we leave. We got three hours till we gotta be back on base and we drive up to the gate where the MP stops us and asks for our IDs. Turns out he had left his behind and mine had fallen out of my pocket somewhere. So he just goes real quiet, but I scream _Let me in the fucking strip HOS!_ ”

“We both got arrested, but he got to fly and I got stuck in the slammer over night. Our instructor called me convict the next time I was out and it just stuck.”

There was another round of laughter and then one of the girls spoke up.

“I’m Sasha Blouse, A1C. Callsign Spud! Tried to smuggle a bag of potatoes into the bunkers after snatching them from the kitchen; got caught instead. Never lived it down.”

“I’m Krista Lenz, A1C. Callsign Princess. Got the name for two reasons: first, the squad I was with at the time had one female, me. Second, I came from a rich family, so it confused people why I was in the air force. Called me princess all the time thinking I was weak. I showed ‘em wrong though.”

“I’m Ymir…just Ymir. Senior Airman. Callsign Bitch. Mostly due to my wonderful, bubbling personality.”

“I-I’m Bertolt Hoover, A1C. Callsign Stretch. Um, ‘cause I’m tall.”

“Reiner Braun. A1C. Callsign Govie.”

“Now wait a minute.” A blonde girl spoke up. “Do I have to re-hear this traumatic story of how you got that name _again_?”

“Yes, you do.” Reiner answered, a smug look on his face. “Me and one of my female squadmates from back in the day hit it off. We got asked to drive one of the Government Issue vehicles to the neighboring base for a training assignment. Didn’t know that the rest of the squad would be following shortly. We made a pit stop and got caught…ya know, doin’ the do. Called me Govie ever since.”

The blonde girl let out a long, pained groan. “Like yours is any better, Annie.”

“Douche bag. Annie Leonhart, A1C. Callsign Rico. Ever seen the movie Madagascar? Rico? The psychotic penguin that has all the weapons? I used to go around with at least two pocket knives all the time. You go off on someone once and it never goes away.”

Everyone turned to the girl who had yet to speak up. There was a red scarf wrapped around her neck, she pulled it down from her face to talk. “Mikasa Ackerman. Staff Sergeant. Callsign Red, because I never go anywhere without this scarf.”

Someone mumbled a quiet _figures_. The rest just hummed. Then all eyes were turning to Levi. They looked at him expectantly, as if he would just share his story with them.

He sighed. “Levi Ackerman, Senior Master Sergeant. Callsign Ace.” That was all he said.

It was Connie who spoke up. “Wait, no story? Ace is a pretty general callsign and technically anyone with more than five kills is classified as an ace. So why is it your callsign?”

A hush fell over them all as Levi stared the kid down. Everyone tensed, waiting for Connie to get in trouble, but it never happened. Levi just calmly explained. “They still call me Ace, because I got the classification on my first mission as a rookie. Took out six targets that day…alone.”

Impressed murmurs filled the room before Hanji ruined everything. “Great! Now we all know something about each other! Friendship!”

Levi groaned, head falling back and eyes rolling into his head. “Fuck. You’re still here?”

Everyone laughed at that, not caring that Hanji technically hadn’t shared. But they weren’t a member of the squad after all, as Levi had pointed out, so it didn’t seem to matter. They carried on late into the night, laughing, drinking, and sharing stories.

And as much as Levi hated to admit…it was nice to have a squad again.


	7. Imminent Threat

**_The war unfolded in the blink of an eye. I don’t exactly remember when the forces from the north occupied my town, I was too busy spending my time scanning the skies, day after day, waiting for “Blue 00” to reappear._ **

**_Suddenly everything changed:_ **

**_The language we were taught in at school…_ **

**_The friendly local sheriff ‘disappeared’ only to be replaced by a foreign military police…_ **

**_In the beginning, some people remained secretive, tuning into the broadcasts from Trost in the dead of the night that could be picked up using the antennas. But as time went on, the broadcasts faded until they no longer came in; perhaps the satellites had been destroyed._ **

**_All non-military computer networks were shut down. Gas was rationed to the people. Even though it was the 21 st century, we were forced to use crystal radios and horse drawn carts. _ **

**_I had been forced to move to another town where my taxi driver uncle lived; it was in the depths of SNC territory. But he was out of gas and out of work, so he did nothing but drown himself in alcohol. I earned my keep by playing the harmonica in the local bar. It was the one thing I was decent at. I would play for the occupation soldiers in exchange for their loose change. I then used the money to support my uncle and me._ **

**_My uncle always trash talked the barkeep for catering to the enemy soldiers, but he never pushed away the money I brought home. As for me, I had a crush on the barkeep’s daughter; she was a few years older than me._ **

**_Another day passed with no sign of the fighter plane, Blue 00, in the skies over my town…_ **

_______________________________

An entire month had gone by since the special ops squad had made it back from their first victory. Things had been quiet for the air force in that time period. It gave all the members some time to sit, drink, and be merry. But all good things come to an end, especially in times of war.

The morning of October fifth had the squad up early for basic maneuvers. It was important to keep themselves vigilant and prepared for sudden combat, even though the L.S. Rogue wasn’t in enemy waters. You never knew when there could be an attack.

They’d all gathered for a quick breakfast in the communal mess hall at 0530hrs and had then proceeded to the main deck for their drills at 0615hrs. By 1145hrs they were back in the mess hall for lunch and were tuning down for the rest of the day off.

In the mean time, Convict, Horse, Spud, Bitch, and Govie had gathered around a table with a deck of cards to continue the game of poker they’d started the day before. The others were on their way to their rooms. That’s when the intercom system buzzed to life.

“Special operations squad report to the briefing room immediately; I repeat, special operations squad to the briefing room. This is not a drill. Code blue; I repeat this is code blue.”

Cards were quickly thrown on the table, those in the hall paused. It was then a mad dash for the briefing room. Code blue was serious, nothing to joke about. The sound of their rushing steps echoed off the walls. They all would have made it in one piece if Eren hadn’t tripped up at the last minute. Levi didn’t spare him a second glance, just vaulted over his grounded figure and kept going. It was no time for chivalry.

Each of them slid into a chair, Eren coming in last, a slight limp in his step. Hanji was at the front of the room, already booting up the display screen. Erwin sat at the front of the room in his chair looking a bit grim.

Hanji wasn’t chipper like they usually were. They got straight to business. “We just got some new Intel. The enemy-held Ragako Air Base is located close to the front lines, making it the current knife at our throat. A large SNC bomber contingent was deployed to Shiganshina. Their intentions are clear – a full scale strike on our forces at Trost is imminent. Operation Harvest is to be initiated immediately to catch these bombers on the ground and destroy them.”

“We intend to turn the parking ramp at Ragako into a junkyard.” Erwin added. “Dismissed.”

They all made their way to the main deck. It was there that Levi announced who would be joining him.

“Jean, Ymir, Krista, Connie, Sasha, Marco, and Reiner will all stay here. Mikasa, Bert, Eren, Annie; you’ll all be with me. Go suit up; the rest of you, be on standby in case of emergency.”

There was always something surreal about take off. Maybe it was the thrill of lifting off the ground. Or maybe it was the g-force hitting you with all that pressure and making your stomach flip and your body slam into your seat.

But whatever it was, it had the pilots’ hearts racing and their bodies practically vibrating in excitement as they prepared to feel it again. It was time to take out this imminent threat.


	8. Operation Harvest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm in my last semester of university and the work load got crazy for mid terms. I've also been trying to help my mom figure out what to get me for my birthday, which is today! I'll try to upload several chapters this week to get back on schedule.

**-Operation Harvest-**

**-Location: Rose/Maria Border-**

**-Ragako Air Base-**

**-Oct.5.2015-**

**-1329hrs.-**

**-Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy enemy bombers and wreck the Ragako Air Base.-**

**_____________________________**

Hanji’s voice came over the com system as they approached their intended target. “Thirty miles to Ragako Air Base. Use the power lines to guide you north.”

Levi glanced out the windows to see the power lines below him as they twisted and weaved across the landscape. They were easy enough to see, even with the clouds.

“The bombers should be clumped together on the ground. Make sure you take them all out.” And that would be all from Hanji for now.

He was at an altitude of about 5333 feet above sea level and going 629 miles per hour and climbing fast. His ammo was topped off again and he was ready for some action. He kept his squad in sight as he flew.

“Role call!” He shouted out, just to make sure everyone was online.

“This is Red.”

“P.E. here.”

“Rico present.”

“Stretch checking in.”

It was always good to hear them all on the first shout out. Sometimes the coms did get interference and it could lead to bad things. Today was looking good though.

He checked to make sure he was still on path with the power lines below. Yeah, things were looking real good.

Eren’s voice crackled through the com. “Keep an eye out for interceptors.”

The air base would be coming up fast at the rate they were going. Down below Levi spotted the substation. If he could take it out it would give them at least a little bit of an edge, because there wouldn’t be as much forewarning of their attack.

He reduced his speed, pointing his nose down so he dropped in altitude. When he was about six hundred meters away he locked on and launched a missile right into the middle of the main building. He quickly maneuvered back up, hearing as the missile exploded underneath him.

They continued forward, but unfortunately the substation hadn’t been taken out in time for warning to not get out. It wasn’t long before enemy jets were on them.

“Engage! Engage!” He heard Red shout over the com.

And the game had begun; cat and mouse, twirling through the sky.

Levi narrowly avoided a collision with one of the enemy F-SE fighter jets. He was quick to maneuver back around and easily destroyed it with two missiles. One of the enemy fighters began an almost vertical ascent. Levi was fast on his tail.

He watched as his altitude climbed: five thousand, six thousand, eight thousand…twelve thousand…thirteen thousand-five hundred.

Finally he was close enough to lock on and fire. Two missiles launched, but they got nothing but air as the enemy quickly turned and began his descent. Levi maneuvered to follow, his engines stalling as he turned. He leveled back out and turned the throttle up, relighting his engines and locking back onto his target. This time he didn’t miss.

“Check your six, check your six!” He heard someone call out. They gave no indication as to who the message was aimed toward, but he knew that everyone would be doing so anyway.

He could see the Ragako come into view in front of him as he continued forward. He dropped low, taking out an AA gun and one of the control towers as he flew over the base. He looped back around, catching a glimpse of Mikasa taking out two of the parked bombers as he did.

He flew back over, taking out two more and destroying a third as he turned back around. Eren took out two of their hangars and Annie was working on making sure no more F-SE’s took off. He circled again, taking out an F-SE himself and another hanger. Bert destroyed three bombers as he swept over the base. There wasn’t much left now.

He took out the remaining five hangars with his gun and two of the three bombers in one sweep, leaving the last bomber to Eren. The mission was a success.

Hanji was quick to patch them into the Ragako radio feed so they could listen to the sound of the defeated enemy.

The enemy voice came through loud and clear, distress obvious in their tone. “This is Ragako, out bombers are decimate! Repeat, all our bombers are destroyed!”

Levi was the first to use the com. “Sky-Eye, this is Freedom Squadron. Mission complete. We’re coming home.”

Everyone whooped in excitement as they turned back to base.

**_____________________________**

It was always nice to be greeted by your fellow squad mates upon landing. The support they all gave each other was astounding sometimes. And while they were all very ready to celebrate another victory, debriefing was necessary.

They all gathered around the table once more, excitement flowing through their veins.

Erwin spoke first. “The attack was a success. A significant number of bombers were eliminated and a full-scale air strike on Trost was prevented. Good job everyone.”

“Yes, good job!” Hanji joined in.

“Now, go celebrate. I can tell you all want to.” Erwin shooed them out.

Once they were all back in the mess hall, a round of drinks was distributed and the game of poker picked back up. Or it would have if the cards hadn’t been a mess. But a new game was started and for the first time in years, Levi joined in.


	9. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at what happens after a mission well done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than most chapters, but I needed a filler because I don't want to just roll from one mission to the next. Especially since given the time line I am working with there can be large time jumps between missions.

The interesting thing about poker games was that they just went on and on until all but one person ran out of money. That was enough for Eren to label it as something he would never play. That was also why he stayed out of the ongoing game that most of the squad was partaking in. Only he, Mikasa, Marco, and Bert decided to do other things.

He had watched the game for a while though, but as it dragged on into a third day he grew tired of watching. There were better things to do with his downtime. So he leaned over to give Levi a kiss on the cheek and said he was going to go read in their room.

When he got to the room he quickly changed into some pajama pants, took care of something special, in hopes Levi would be there soon, and grabbed a book off the shelf. He propped up some pillows and snuggled into the bed, propping the book up as he began to read. He was several chapters in when his eyes began to droop. And before he knew it the words blurred and tilted away, leaving only darkness to welcome him.

**_____________________________**

Levi placed his cards on the table and heard the collective groans of those still involved in the game. Annie had been smart enough to withdraw while she still had some cash. Reiner, Sasha, Connie, and Krista had actually run out long ago. That left Jean and Ymir to play against Levi.

And to think they were under the impression they had bested him. Nope. The cards he laid down proved it. An ace, king, queen, jack and ten of spades laid before them all; the ace and jack where his hand. A damn royal flush, the highest hand possible.

Levi gathered his earnings, bowed to the losers as he was the poker _king_ , and strutted out of the room to let Eren know how rich they now were.

He stepped through the door to find Eren fast asleep, a book sliding out of his grasp toward the floor. A smile graced his face as he silently padded over to get the book and place it on the bedside table. He slid his new found earnings into a small wooden box on the bookshelf and then began to ready himself to join his sleeping husband.

But the moment he slid into the bed, warm arms wrapped around him and a large leg was flung over his hip. Turns out Eren wasn’t asleep after all, at least not anymore.

“Did I wake you?” Levi asked, stretching to look at Eren’s face.

His eyes were still closed as he pulled Levi back against him. “Kinda, but don’t worry ‘bout it.”

Levi wrapped himself around his husband, letting his hands glide over the firm muscles of his back. Eren leaned in and peppered kisses across Levi’s jaw, pressing himself into the other’s hips. Levi shifted, allowing him to assault Eren’s neck with his tongue.

“Did you win?” He gasped out.

Levi hummed in confusion, not bothering to stop his ministrations. “The poker game, Levi, did you win?”

Levi pulled back slightly. “Almost two grand, yeah.” He let his hands drift down to Eren’s ass. He paused, quirking an eyebrow and watching as Eren’s face grew extremely hot. “Eren, what’s this?” He slid a hand roughly over the hard circle at the center of Eren’s ass. He knew good and well what it was, but he was a bit surprised that Eren had done such a thing when they were on call. Granted, it was hard to have moments of intimacy on the aircraft carrier when they were on active duty. But Eren never failed to find a way.

He watched the blush spread over Eren’s face. “I just thought that…maybe, we could, um…” He trailed off, blush growing darker.

“Just thought, hmm?” Levi pushed his hips forward into Eren’s. “This what you were thinking about? Me all hot and bothered, with you beneath me, my dick in your ass? Hmm?”

Eren let out a moan. That’s exactly what he had been thinking. “Well, Eren? You need to speak if I’m to know what it is you want.”

A whimper came from Eren’s parted lips and he began to squirm against Levi. “Yes…please, Levi. That’s what I want.”

“Then get a condom, you horny shit. We’re not gonna make a mess of the sheets tonight.”


	10. The Northern Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note for you readers: Hanji is gender neutral in this fic (they/them pronouns) but if you ever see that I have messed this up and used she/her somewhere, please let me know. I am used to portraying Hanji as female, so sometimes I mess this up (I'm only human), but I want to fix it if I do miss it in editing and revision, because I do all that myself and sometimes I still miss things.

**_One night, a spirited group made their way into the bar, chased out the sullen soldiers, and seized the place. Even I knew who they were. The patch that was sewn to their sleeve was the proud mark of the air force._ **

**_A loud mouthed, middle aged man went around, announcing each pilot’s results for the day and his or her kill record. For those who got more than five kills, a round of toasts followed. I believe it is air force custom to call a pilot an “Ace” once they’ve shot down five planes._ **

**_After they were done with the day’s review, the same man – the squad’s administrator – went on to announce, “And now, for our leader’s results!” Everyone turned to look at a quiet man who sat alone, strumming a guitar. I found myself drawn to his music. “Our Scarface Thirteen bagged three today, bringing his tally up to sixty-four kills.”_ **

**_With a small smile the man asked me to accompany him on my harmonica. I brought it to my lips as he began a new song. I had found the other pilot who survived that day, the one who could have gotten retribution for the death of my family. And I hated him for not getting it._ **

**_But by some stroke of luck, the song he started was my father’s favorite, the one he had played at each day’s end…_ **

_______________________________

October tenth was supposed to be lazy. It was an off day, no drills, missions, or tests scheduled. The members of the Freedom squad had decided to sleep in, the exception to this being Levi.

Levi was up and about, a mug of black tea in his hands as he stood on the flight deck next to Erwin. The two were discussing the war and how things had changed. It was unexpected when the loud speakers blasted around noon. Not even Erwin was aware of what was happening this time.

Ten minutes later they all made it to the briefing room, the other members looking sluggish and tired. Eren still had bed head and Reiner was only in his pajama pants. This was quite unexpected. Hanji stood at the front of the room, the projection screen already displaying the map and ready to go.

“What is going on Hanji? I haven’t authorized anything.” Erwin spoke up, giving them an odd look.

They rolled their eyes, before setting down their tablet. “We discussed this the other day Erwin. If we don’t act on this new information today, we’re screwed! You know this. I thought we agreed on this?”

“I do agree that the information gathered from the enemy correspondence is very useful, but I think that your idea of acting upon it immediately is a bit rash. There’s time to properly plan this out, Hanji. That area is not easy to maneuver fighters in, even for our most experienced pilots.”

“Erwin Smith, listen to yourself!”

“You are not my mother, Hanji.”

“Maybe not! But if she were here, oh, she’d tell you.”

“You’re out of line Tech Sergeant. Stand down. Now.” Erwin all but hissed.

Anyone who was still half asleep was awake now. It was not often that the Chief spoke in such a tone. He turned his attention to Levi now. “Levi, you’ve flown in the Karakoram Mountain Range before, yes?”

Levi gave an affirmative nod. “Do you think any of your squad could maneuver in that range? Safely, of course.”

He didn’t answer right away. He looked over at each of his squad members. Mikasa would be fine up there, she was nearly as good as he was. He was confident in Eren’s abilities; so long as it didn’t come to any bad dog fighting he’d be fine. But Erwin wouldn’t allow a mission to take place unless he had at least one more member who he felt could make the flight.

Ymir was the only other person even remotely qualified for such an environment. But she could get cocky in the air. “I’ve got two I’m confident in, and one other who I feel is good enough as a pilot, but I wouldn’t put my faith in them to complete the mission alive.” He answered honestly.

Hanji appeared to be terribly disappointed at the front of the room, a very evident pout on her face. “I see.” Erwin brought a hand to his face in thought. “Brief us Hanji. I’ll be suiting up for this one.”

They gave him an incredulous look. “But sir-”

“No buts. Just briefing. Please.” He took his seat and waited for them to begin.

They didn’t like this at all. But they began nonetheless. “The SNC are retreating from Trost and survivors are gathering at the port of Utopia. However, it has come to our attention that there are radar facilities atop Mount Siro that can provide tactical support to the enemy.”

They zoomed in on the map to give a visual of the mountains. “This puts our evacuation plan is in jeopardy. If we can successfully evacuate and regroup our troops at Trost, the can become a formidable force in future battles. Operation White Out, as I have coined it, gives you the mission to destroy these radar facilities that sit atop Mount Siro so the enemy is blinded and our troops can move safely, hidden from enemy eyes.”

Everyone looked at each other. “Let’s get on our way then.” Erwin said as he rose from his seat. “Don’t want to keep them waiting, now do we?”

He headed out of the briefing room, Hanji and Levi hot on his tail. Levi was the one who jerked him around to face them. “Are you crazy?” He spat at his Chief. “You haven’t been on a mission in almost seven years, Erwin. You’ll die and leave us without a commanding officer.”

“Levi’s right, Erwin. It isn’t like it used to be up there. Things have changed.”

He simply looked at them, face as calm as could be. “I’ll be fine. Levi, get the two you know will be fine and meet me on the flight deck. We leave in two hours. We cannot leave this northern eye there to spy on us.” And then he walked away.


	11. Operation White Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin goes on a mission. What could go wrong?

**-Operation White Out-**

**-Location: North of Trost-**

**-Karakoram Mountain Range-**

**-Oct.10.2015-**

**-1628hrs.-**

**-Clear-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy enemy radar bases.-**

**_____________________________**

Knowing that Erwin was in the formation put Levi on edge. He wasn’t part of the squad and had no experience flying with them. Things could get ugly fast if he didn’t keep an eye on the unwanted addition.

Hanji’s voice crackled through his headset in the middle of his thoughts. “This combat area is in enemy airspace. Keep a sharp eye out for bandits. Use vector two-three-zero to return home when the targets have been destroyed.”

The mountains below where covered in a thin layer of snow. As beautiful as they were, Levi knew all too well how dangerous they were for someone in a fighter jet who flew too close. He was about to do roll call when he heard Erwin speak first.

“This is your Chief, callsign Eyebrows. Roll call.” Levi gripped his throttle tighter. Bastard just thinks he can come in here and take over. Higher position be damned! This was Levi’s squad! And to Levi’s great pleasure no one responded. They knew.

“This is Ace. _Leader_ of the Freedom squadron.” He let that sink into Erwin’s brain for a moment. “Roll call.”

“P.E. ready to engage.”

“Red here.”

He waited for Erwin to respond. “Rookie, do you read me?” He said out of spite.

“Loud and clear… _sir_.” Came Erwin’s irritated reply.

“You will be callsign, Rookie, till you learn to respect this squad’s chain of command.” Levi spat back. “Red, you and P.E. take the base to the west. Rookie and I will take the eastern base.”

“Affirmative, sir. Adjusting vectors now. P.E. change to radio frequency four. Sky-Eye, do you copy that. Red and P.E. to frequency four.”

“I copy, Red.” Hanji replied. And just like that Levi and Erwin were left almost alone on their radio frequency.

They continued on toward their destinations, Eren and Mikasa’s jets finally disappearing on the horizon. A short time later an enemy F-SE appeared before them. He watched as Erwin engaged it. Despite the fact that Erwin had been out of a jet for years, he was doing surprisingly well. His maneuvering was still top notch and the enemy plane was down seconds later.

Two more enemy jets appeared, but they were no match for the two professional pilots. “Radar base one, four miles ahead.” Hanji piped up. It would be hard enough once the actual mission got started for her to keep up with what was happening at both locations. They would be partially on their own.

“Target confirmed.” Rookie said as he flew over. “We’ve got AA guns. Watch out.”

Levi kept his focus on taking out the enemy fighters in the area. When that was done he began to blow up the radar stations at the base, watching as Erwin whipped past him dropping a series of small bombs onto the AA guns.

With the first base destroyed they awaited to hear good news from the other half of their squad. But after a few minutes, nothing came through.

“Sky-Eye, this is Ace. Report on the situation at base two.”

“Ace, this is Sky-Eye. There seem to be more enemy planes at base two. Red is requesting backup, P.E. is returning to base for repairs.”

“We’re on our way. Let’s go, Rookie.”

The bases weren’t that far from one another and it didn’t take long for base two to come into view. Mikasa could clearly be seen, high in the sky trying to take on the many enemy jets. “Rookie, focus on the skies. I’ve got the radar stations. Change to radio frequency four.”

With the enemy fighters distracted and the AA guns already destroyed by Eren, it was easy for him to quickly take them out. The enemy fighters were pulling back and retreating when he looped back around to head to base. It only briefly struck him as odd.

“Freedom squadron here, mission accomplished.” He heard Erwin report in.

“Sky-Eye here. Radar facilities have been confirmed as destroyed. Proceed at vector two-three-zero, south to head home.”

**_____________________________**

The aircraft carrier came into view and a familiar voice came through Levi’s head set. “Ace, performing landing check…You are cleared to land.”

“Nice to hear from you too, Armin.”

“Glad you made it back safely, Levi. Eren will be happy…One mile to touch down.”

Levi’s plane landed safely on the ship’s runway, bouncing a bit as it rolled to a stop. “Nicely done, sir.”

“Thank you. You should try to make it by for dinner tonight. Eren would love to see you.”

“I’ll see what I can do. But you know how they treat us technicians.”

“Try to have a nice evening either way.”

“Thank you, sir. I will.”

**_____________________________**

Back in the briefing room, Eren refused to let go of Levi. Since he’d had to return to the ship with the damage to his plane, he had been worried sick about Levi. Hanji and Erwin were speaking quietly at the front of the room. Everyone figured they were making up after their little spat from earlier. Finally they broke apart and the debriefing began.

“With the enemy’s radar out of commission, the command and control they have of the area is degraded.” Hanji said. “The evacuation and regrouping efforts are proceeding as we originally scheduled.”

“Good job everyone.” Erwin chimed in at the end. “Levi, I’d like to have a word.” When Eren didn’t make to leave he added, “Alone.”

Eren huffed up and whined before Levi forced him to leave. The door clicked shut behind them all and the two stood in silence for several minutes. It was Erwin who spoke first. “About earlier.”

“You got excited to go out in the field again. I get it. Just try to consider the bigger picture next time. If you were killed doing something like this…Legion would be fucked, Erwin. Zackly and the others might not admit it, but this Air Force is what has kept their asses from failing, you’ve kept them from failing. Without you…it’s over. So don’t fuck it up for everyone’s sake.”

And with that, Levi left Erwin to his thoughts.


	12. A Time Of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin reminisces.

**“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:**

**A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;**

**A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;**

**A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;**

**A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;** ****

**A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;**

**A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;**

**A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”**

Erwin closed the cover to the old book as he finished reading the passage, placing his father’s Bible back on the shelf. Ecclesiastes was an interesting book and his father had loved chapter three like no other. He recalled going to church on Sunday mornings with his father. The smell of candles and old women’s perfume always met them at the door. The fancy clothes and happy façades never ceased to trick him. His father had taught him well.

But the words spoken by the pastor always felt real. He could feel deeper meaning behind them even as a child. Something about those words he always heard moved him, moved him deeply. So the day his father was sent off to fight a war, a war that he never should have had to fight, Erwin’s heart hurt.

He was left alone at the tender age of eleven, just beginning to grow up and enter a new stage of life in which he would learn about the truth of the world. He’d been told that the truth hurt, but never before had he felt its cold tentacles wrap around him until then.

With his father’s absence he was left in the hands of his Aunt Evelyn. She was a strange woman of forty-five years. Her husband was long since dead from a war many years before. She had no children and had never remarried. In truth she had been estranged from the Smith family for several decades, an unfortunate incident had left her shunned. But she was the only family his father had left.

Evelyn Smith was a retched woman, Erwin came to find out. She held her social standing in high esteem and her reputation in the town she lived in was based completely off lies that she had formed. She told everyone that he was the child of an old friend who had unfortunately fallen upon even harder times than the family had been in before. She told him he was a bastard child, born to a woman out of wedlock who only married into the Smith family because she tricked one of the Smith men into thinking she was a good woman.

When they weren’t around others she pushed him around, treated him as a slave, made him sleep in the shed behind the house with the rats. She called his mother a whore and his father a dead beat.

He made the mistake of getting muddy one day. It had been a moment of childish glee after a rain storm. He’d gone splashing in puddles and gallivanting through the garden. When he returned he’d been covered from head to toe in mud and water. His good clothes were stained and she had been furious.

She had promptly stripped him, drug him outside by his ear, and shoved him against the brick wall. The garden hose was quickly strung out and the cold water put on full blast. The attachment on the end of the hose made the water stream out five times harder. She had pinned him to the wall as she rinsed him off, his skin turning red from the pressure and then blue from the cold. He’d nearly caught frostbite that night as she’d forced him to bed, naked and soaked, left to try and sleep in the terrible cold of the late autumn night in the small shed behind the house.

The war had waged on for years. He was fifteen when he got the news. His father had been killed in action, a proud fighter pilot in the air force. He had served his homeland well. It was the first time he’d cried since he had first been brought to his Aunt Evelyn. But what hurt even worse was that she refused to make the trip so he could attend the funeral.

He ran away that night, forged his own papers and joined the air force. There was nothing else for him to do. He had no true family, no one to turn to. So he would forge his own path. He was an angry young man who had no desire to turn his anger toward those who had done no harm. So he chose instead to take it out on those who had.

_A time of war,_ that’s what Ecclesiastes said. Well it was his time. And it had been ever since. He’d spent the greater part of his life devoting himself to the cause of war. His anger had long since run out, yet he still sought out the fight. Maybe that was why he had insisted on going on that mission with Levi and his team. Maybe he was grasping at what had long ago run out.

Erwin stared at the glass of scotch that had long since turned hot. There was no use drinking it now. He picked the glass up, watching as the liquid sloshed about. What had he been thinking? Going on a mission? He was not the young pilot he once was. He was older now, wiser…or he was supposed to be, but it had been foolhardy and reckless to be a part of the last mission.

The glass of scotch shattered against the far wall, painting the once pristine white with a nasty looking tan stain.

He was ready for his time of peace. Yet it never seemed to come. He was even beginning to wonder if the world could have such a thing as peace. For the war never seemed to end; it just dragged on and on.

He had made up his mind though. He wanted his time of peace. And if this war didn’t take him before it ended then he would make his own peace. He would turn in his request for discharge the moment this war ended. He’d find some far off island, move there and never look back.

_A time of war, and a time of peace._

He’d have his peace, one way or another.

Even if he had to forge it himself.


	13. Blockade

November seventh was not your typical day. The weather was fine, but there was a storm of a different nature brewing. It would be later that the skies would be filled with fighter jets as they headed toward their destination, only one mission on the pilot’s minds. But no one knew that when the day began.

It would have seemed like any other day to Levi, if he hadn’t woken up to find Eren missing. He had rolled over, expecting to trap his husband in a warm embrace, but all he got was an arm full of sheets that had long since cooled. His eyes were open in an instant, any sign of sleep leaving them as he took in the room. Dawn had not yet broken.

Everything seemed to be fine though. Nothing appeared to be out of place at first glance. But when he got up and headed for the door he noticed that the bathroom door was not shut as he thought, but slightly ajar. He quietly padded toward it, pushing it open enough to pop his head inside.

Eren was sitting on the floor, naked and soaking wet, head between his knees which were drawn up to his chest. He appeared to be attempting to calm himself down, the shower obviously not having worked. Levi joined him, just sitting next to him. Not a word was spoken, Levi knew. He had forgotten it was this time of year again, but he knew that today would be a bad day for Eren.

If anything were to happen mission wise in the next week, Eren would need to sit it out. It always took time for him to come back to himself. He waited patiently. Eren would let him know when he was needed.

An hour later, at the break of dawn, Eren let himself fall into Levi.

He had to be tired. God knew how long he’d been up and now that Eren had let Levi know he could do something, he acted quickly. He wrapped his arms around the grieving young man, picking him up carefully, not caring how wet he got. He tucked him into the bed, pulling him close and whispering calming words to him, telling him how much he was loved.

Never once did he say it would be okay.

Not once did he say time would heal these wounds.

It was not said that things would get better.

Because none of those were true, not in this line of work.

Levi had made a promise to Eren the day they got married to never lie to him. In this line of work, in any armed service based career, things didn’t get better, time didn’t necessarily heal wounds, and saying it would be okay almost never made it so. The only thing Levi could do in that moment was reassure Eren that he was there for him, that he would stay.

Eventually Eren fell asleep. Levi would have to explain to Erwin that Eren was out of commission for the next week or so. He would understand once Levi brought it up.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, holding onto Eren as he slept. But at some point the siren began to go off, signaling that the squad was needed in the briefing room. He pried himself off of Eren, who somehow managed to stay asleep, and quickly made his way out of the room and down the hall.

**_____________________________**

He took his seat amongst the others in the room, watching as everyone glanced to the empty chair. Erwin entered the room shortly after, Hanji at his side. And to his surprise Armin came in just behind her. The three took in the empty seat, noticing Eren’s absence. Armin gave Levi a knowing look and helped Hanji prepare for the briefing.

“Where’s Eren?” Erwin’s voice rang out.

Levi looked at him. “He’s asleep. It’s that time of year again.”

That was explanation enough. Erwin gave a curt nod and motioned for Hanji and Armin to begin.

“We've discovered the SNC is transporting a large quantity of strategic supplies and rapid deployment troops into Laos Harbor. Laos appears to be the staging area for an attack on Trost.” Armin stated, pointing to several places on the map Hanji had projected.

Hanji stepped forward to speak next. “The Zeus Fleet, stationed here, seems to be the centerpiece of this strike. If the SNC completes their troop preparations and the Zeus Fleet sets sail, this will bring about our defeat in this war. We are putting Operation Hunting Hawk into effect. Your mission is to intercept and shoot down the enemy transport planes in and around Laos Harbor.”

“Let's show them how vulnerable they are.” Erwin added.

Armin continued. “Be advised, the transport aircraft have electronic countermeasures onboard that emit powerful jamming signals. You’ll need to rely on visual contact rather than radar.”

“Over all though, this mission should be fairly easy for our most skilled squad of pilots!” Hanji just had to tack on.

Erwin dismissed them to get ready for the mission, everyone filing out of the room. Armin caught Levi before he left though. “How is he?” His concern for Eren ran deep.

“About like last year. Basically catatonic.” Levi shifted to his other foot.

Armin looked deep in thought. “You know him better than I do these days. Do you think he’ll be okay?”

Levi looked up at the blonde. “He always is. I have to believe that he’ll pull through this time like he always does.” He paused for a moment, then added. “If you get the chance, you should go see him. It might not seem like much, but I know he misses seeing you. Might even do him some good. Keep his mind off it, you know?”

Armin smiled. “I’ll have to see about doing just that. Good luck on the mission, Levi. Come back to him safely.” The blonde gave a small wave as he headed out the door.

Levi took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. His game face firmly in place, he headed for the flight deck to get ready. It was time to put into motion the first mission that would help them take out this damn fleet and its potential for creating a blockade.


	14. Operation Hunting Hawk

**-Operation Hunting Hawk-**

**-Location: North of Laos Harbor-**

**-East Rose Territory-**

**-Nov.7.2015-**

**-1226hrs-**

**-Slightly Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Intercept and shoot down the enemy transport planes.-**

**_____________________________**

Laos was a metropolitan area on the eastern coast of Rose territory. Once upon a time it had been home to Legion forces. Unfortunately it had long ago fallen under Sina’s control. The SNC used the harbor as a front line logistics and repair center for their naval forces: The Zeus Fleet, also coined as the “Indestructible Fleet.”

This fleet was a major thorn in Legion’s side. If they launched a large scale invasion on Trost and Legion’s current HQ, it wouldn’t be pretty. Taking out these air transports would be the first step in taking the fleet down once and for all. And if anyone could take out an _indestructible_ fleet, it would be the Freedom squad.

There were three C-17 cargo planes in the air that would be the main focus of the mission, but Levi was more concerned with the E-767 jammer planes. If those could be taken care of quickly it would make finding and destroying their intended targets that much easier. But with Eren out of commission for a while, he was having to rely on Mikasa and Ymir for this mission, and hoping that Jean could pick up the slack. He was the next in line for promotion anyway.

“Sky-Eye here. Visual on the transports should be coming up soon. Destroy the E-767s to clear your radar. Good luck.”

He could already make out the interference on his radar. It brought a scowl to his face.

He’d need to make sure everyone was ready now. “Roll call.”

“Bitch coming at ya.”

“Red here.”

“Horse ready and waiting.”

He gave a nod, not thinking about the fact that no one could see him. “You’re all clear to engage.”

He should have expected that the cargo planes would be escorted by fighter jets. But really they weren’t that important. They would just have to maneuver around them as best they could and focus on the real mission. Levi flew past the fighter escorts, hoping the others didn’t get bogged down by them and headed straight for the center of the interference. That would most likely be where the jammers were.

The first one came up in front of him out of a nearby cloud. He quickly locked on and took it out, mentally pumping his fist as he watched its flaming fragments fall to the ground. One down, one to go.

But instead of a jammer he spotted a cargo plane. He went ahead and changed course slightly so he was headed straight for it. He heard the squeal as he locked on and fired two missiles in quick succession. He just barely missed the exploding plane as he flew over it.

“Part of the radar is clear!” He heard Mikasa call out. She must have found and taken out another of the E-767s. That meant there was more than two of them and that two cargo planes still remained in the air.

A fighter jet suddenly came up on Levi’s tail. He could hear Jean explaining that there must have been another jammer, but he was preoccupied with getting this asshole off his ass. And no he didn’t mean that literally, his actual asshole was fine right where it was.

He slowed down, quickly made his plane flip up and back so that he was behind the enemy when he leveled back out and locked onto his target. Two more of his missiles effectively fixed the problem. That’s when he spotted the other jammer. He took it out like it was nothing. This left the cargo planes open to be seen on radar.

“Radar’s back online!” Ymir called out.

Levi was trapped in a dogfight with another of the fighter jets though, as was Mikasa. A few more had appeared out of the clouds and were trying to stop them before the last of the cargo planes could be taken out. He could see Ymir closing in on one of the cargo planes now. It went up in a ball of flames, but now Ymir was being attacked by enemy fighters as well.

Everything now rested on Jean. Levi hoped the horse could pull it off. He was unaware of Jean’s location at the moment, but things were a bit crazy and he was focusing on twisting and turning to get away from the enemy. His sensors were going off like crazy letting him know that he had been locked onto. But Levi was better than them. He knew the right way to maneuver in order to get free of their missiles.

If the damn kid pulled it off, Levi’d sign off on the promotion request himself. The motherfucker deserved it if he could take out that last plane.

“Target destruction confirmed.” Jean’s voice was a damn Godsend. The horse faced bastard had done it. The enemy fighters began to disperse, disappearing now that they had failed. No reason to risk their lives, they’d get enough of an ass whooping when they got back to their base.

“Good job, Horse.” Hanji said. “Everyone return home.”

**_____________________________**

Back in the briefing room, Jean was getting his fair share of back-breaking slaps from Reiner. Sometimes the big guy didn’t know his own strength. Everyone, with the exception of Eren, was congratulating him on his victory making take down. Even Erwin had stepped up to shake his hand. Jean had looked a bit intimidated and awe stuck at that.

Erwin quieted them down soon after, though, intent on debriefing them so they could go celebrate another victory. “The mission was a success. We no longer have to worry about the air transport corridor, as we have effectively shut it down. Congratulations on a job well done. Now go enjoy yourselves.”

The noise crashed back over them as everyone started talking and poking fun at Jean. Levi was fixing to go check on Eren, when Erwin caught him. “If I could have a word, Levi.”

The two headed in the opposite direction, entering Erwin’s office instead of going to the squad’s living quarters. “What is it?”

“About Eren…How bad is it this year?”

Levi thought back to last year. Things had been really bad this time last year. He’d caught Eren sleep walking with a knife that first night. “I don’t think it’s as bad, but I haven’t had time to check on him since I got back, so I could be wrong. He seems more,” Levi waved his arms around to emphasize that he didn’t really know, “ _out of it_ this year.”

“I see. So less violent, more subdued, but in a bad way. Is that along the lines of what you mean?”

Why did Erwin have to be so damn intelligent? “Yeah. Something like that.”

“Do we need to lock him in the infirmary’s mental ward?”

Levi shot his eyes up to stare at Erwin. “Fuck no!” He hadn’t been this angry with Erwin in a long time. “How dare you even suggest that! There is nothing wrong with him. He isn’t mental. He is grieving, Erwin. He went through hell! He saw far too much shit! I know how he feels. It took me almost a decade to get over everything I went through; he hasn’t even hit half of that yet. It’s been three years for him and everyone heals differently. Don’t act like he’s truly sick just because he hasn’t figured out how to deal with his loss yet.”

Levi stormed over toward the door. “I think it would be best if you stayed away from him until he’s back to his old self again. You don’t want to know what I’ll do if I hear you’ve been near him, Erwin. Don’t fuck with me or him right now.”

He slammed the door and headed off to make sure Eren was okay. Erwin could go to hell for all he cared.


	15. Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shit that Eren saw.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder comes in many forms, but it always forms from major types of stress or stressful events. Its most noticeable symptoms include: lack of sleep, irritability or anger, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated responses, and difficulty concentrating.

But Eren sometimes wondered if there were other ways for it to onset. He’d heard Mikasa and Armin speak of the way he disappeared within himself one week out of the year. He knew Levi was concerned about him, that he stressed out the most that one week of the year when Eren went to a place no one else could get to.

Eren knew that PTSD wasn’t uncommon in soldiers. He’d met men and women who suffered from it, had been around when they had a break. Once or twice he had been on the receiving end of those breaks. He knew it was serious. But for them it was always loud noises or a smell, a similar scenario to what they had been in when the trauma hit, that set them off. They were unpredictable when it came to their outbursts.

But Eren was different. The resident psychiatrist said he had Acute Stress Disorder, not PTSD. He had experienced a great trauma himself, but it didn’t have to do with the war, not directly. There had been no loud gun shots or explosions.

No it had been quiet, so very quiet. The smells of the attack had long faded when he got there. All there was to be seen was the decimated remains of the place he once called home. The images haunted him even now. But those were not the images that he remembered in the most detail. They were not the ones that haunted him the worst, the ones that put him in a nearly catatonic state once a year.

He would remember that day so clearly, until the day he died and probably long afterward. He had heard the news of his hometown being hit by the enemy late in the day. He was not allowed to leave the base, but he had done so anyway. He did not care how mad Levi, who he was only dating at the time, would be later, did not care that he risked being dishonorably discharged for being insubordinate and not following orders.

They should have gotten in contact with him. His parents should have been in contact. It worried him that they hadn’t. Even if they had left town before it had been hit by the bombs, they should have been able to contact him somehow so late in the day.

He snuck off the base with only a few hours to spare before the sun would set, stole a car from the local town. Taking a military issued vehicle would be too dangerous. He had raced to his hometown, nearly crashing into other cars several times along the way. He had thirty minutes before the suns light completely faded when he got there.

Bu the town was blocked off; no one, who wasn’t relief personnel, was allowed in. They were only letting civilians who had been cleared to head to local refugee camps, on buses. It took him fifteen minutes to safely sneak into the town, another ten to make it to his street. It didn’t look like the relief efforts had made it this far yet. There were no large lights set up to make the area better so see in, no tire tracks or signs that that the debris had been moved about.

His house had stood at the end of the road…

All that remained was a pile of rubble.

He doesn’t remember how he came to stand before that pile, but his legs ached and his heart throbbed as he stood there. His breathes were shallow as he drew closer, each step was careful. That’s when he saw it; the body of his mother’s dog. The little terrier was missing parts of its fur and was half covered by a piece of the roofing.

He had pressed on further, hoping he would find nothing else, hoping the dog had just been left behind in their haste to get out.

He could make out the crater where one of the bombs had landed. His home had been the first thing the explosion would have hit. Something cracked under him with his next step. He lifted his foot to find his father’s glasses, now shattered beneath his boot.

His father never went anywhere without those glasses. He was legally blind if he didn’t have them on. His breathing became erratic, his throat beginning to close up. A glance to his left had him tearing up. A manly hand protruded from beneath a portion of the house’s wall that had collapsed.

He took a deep breath, tightly shut his eyes, and did his best not to break down or throw up. The sound of something shifting had his eyes flying open and his head jerking toward the noise. He crept toward the sound, wary of the scattered glass from shattered windows. There was a place where the debris from the house was piled higher, leaving whatever lie on the other side to be obscured.

He came around it slowly, almost expecting to see a coyote or a raccoon. But what greeted him instead took his breath away.

“E-Eren.” Her voice was shaky at best, warm eyes trained directly on him. She raised a shaking hand toward him, reaching out for her son.

The tears left him now, coming forth from his eyes in a torrent. “M-Mom.” His voice shook now too. He climbed onto the debris with her as carefully as he could, trying not to make it shift or fall down. She was propped up against what looked to have once been a door.

“Eren. Sweetheart.” He carefully wrapped himself around her. “I l-love you.”

“You’re gonna be fine, mom. Everything’s gonna be fine.” He didn’t believe his own words and he knew she didn’t either. But he had to try to reassure her. Some part of him still held hope that she, at the very least, would survive this.

But when he shifted his hold, the blood that painted his hand was all too startling. His hope died then. He turned her into his body further, twisting her gently to find the large, wooden splinter that protruded from her side. With the amount of blood that was coming from the wound it had to have hit something vital. As long as she had likely been sitting here, it would be fatal.

His tears fell faster, sobs shaking his body as her weak voice tried to comfort him. “I will…always be with you.” She kept saying. “You have Levi now.”

It didn’t make him feel any better; it just made the tears come faster. He pulled her close, feeling as her breathing slowed even more. He heard her whisper a final _I love you_ before her figure went limp in his arms.

He cried all through the night, not letting sleep or exhaustion take him. Well into the next day, when the sun was high and beating down harshly, Levi and the others from Legion, who had come in search of him, found him. He was coated in his mother’s dried blood and his own tears, a layer of dust and ash on his skin as well. His mother’s lifeless body was pressed to his chest, arms tightly grasping her.

He refused to let go, even when Levi coaxed him. He vaguely remembered the sound of Levi’s voice, but in reality he was far away. That had been the first time Eren had gone catatonic. Eventually his grip had let up, the weakness of his body catching up with him. Levi had gently pried him from his mother and carried him to an emergency vehicle.

From there he was cleaned up and transported back to Legion HQ. Three days later, he was still in a daze, but with Mikasa and Armin’s help, Levi had gotten Eren dressed and transported him to his family’s funeral.

He had come back, somewhat, then. He was completely aware that they were putting his parents in the ground and he had broken down, clinging to Levi like his life depended on it. Four days afterward he came back to himself completely, a renewed vigor to take on the enemy in his eyes.

It had been the same every year since then. When the anniversary of his parents’ deaths came around on the calendar, he went back into his trance like state. And Levi was always there for him. It had been six months after their deaths that he had proposed to Levi. They were married, in a simple ceremony, four months after that.

Eren knew people worried over him when he got like this, but he was happy to know that people cared. As he sat on the bed now, he made a promise to himself, that this would be the last time. No longer would he let his grief control him. This would be the last year he made them worry over him, that his grief made him incapable of destroying the enemy.

He would fight. He would be okay. Like his mother had said, he had Levi now. And he had his friends, his squadmates. They would be enough. He was going to cut his catatonic state in half this year and forever be rid of it.

When Levi came back from his office, Eren would be fine.


	16. Lifeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something might be amiss. Erwin continues to be a bigger shit than normal.

It had now been twelve days since the last mission; everyone was anxiously waiting to be called into the briefing room in order to continue with the mission to destroy the Zeus fleet, even though Eren had not been a part of step one. Levi was glad to have Eren back to his usual ways. It had taken a week, as per usual, for the young man to come back to him and this time he was more determined than ever to end this war. The blonde had even gotten away from the tech room long enough for a visit a few days prior, so Levi had gone to his office to do some paperwork and give them some alone time.

Armin didn’t get much time to visit. Being a technician sergeant kept him busy with lots of things. He had to make sure that the jets were in working order and up to standard, tested the com system for any anomalies in the system, and he was actually a surprisingly big help in the strategy room as well.

Erwin had brought him in on many occasions to help plan out the best course of action to take and Hanji had become quite fond of the, as they would say, “intelligent mushroom” themself. But all of it kept Armin rather busy, leaving him little time to socialize with friends or try to have a social life outside of them.

Levi hoped that Armin didn’t turn into another Erwin, because Lord knows that man needed to get away when he chose not to.

Right now though, they were tightly wrapped up in bed, a tangle of limbs under a warm blanket. But they received a rude awakening when the speaker began to blare with a crackly voice. They were quick to get up from bed, not bothering to throw on anything more than a missing shirt, and high tail it to the briefing room. They entered the room just before Annie did.

The seats quickly filled up and then Hanji was starting, a sleepy lilt in their voice. “As you know we began a three part mission on November seventh which, God willing, will end in the end of, or at least, a major disruption of the Zeus fleets activities.”

A map of Laos Harbor came up on the screen. “Laos Harbor, which houses the Zeus fleet still, is solely reliant on a single petrochemical complex for all its fuel. The complex consists of a land based refinery and storage facility as well as an off shore drilling platform.”

“It will be your job to destroy or at least damage these sites. The main objective is to reduce production output to twenty percent or less. Cutting off their fuel supply will delay or disrupt deployment of the Zeus fleet.” They finished.

Erwin stood up to address them as well. “I don’t need to tell you all how vital this is to our future operations. Do Legion proud. Dismissed.”

Hanji and Erwin left the room, leaving Levi to address his squad. He stood up and looked them all over. “This mission isn’t like the others. It’s going to take all of us to complete. Be prepared to get split into two groups. You’ll find out who’s in them later. For now, get a move on.”

And with that they all headed for the flight deck. Levi passed Armin, who grabbed his arm and took him aside. “Be careful out there today. I have a bad feeling about this.” The blonde said to him in warning.

Levi’s brow furrowed. “Did you tell Erwin about this bad feeling?”

“Of course I did. But you know how he is? Gut feelings aren’t enough to get him to postpone a mission, especially one as important as this.”

“All right. Thanks for the warning. I’ll have Hanji patch us into the enemy coms, just in case.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

“Luck’s not what we need.” He headed out to the flight deck to join the others, immediately going over his flight checklist. About a third of the way in he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Mikasa standing there.

“What? Make it quick.” He spat.

“Did Armin talk to you?”

“He did.”

“I have the feeling too. I spoke with the Chief about it, but he brushed me off. It’s not gonna be pretty out there today. Keep an eye on Eren for me. I know you’ll most likely split us up.”

“You know I have to keep an eye out for everyone in my group. If I show favor Erwin will kick him off the squad. I don’t want that.” He shifted to his other foot. “And I’m pretty sure you don’t want that either.”

“I don’t.” She looked at the ground. “But if it means he’s safe…” She didn’t have to finish that sentence. He knew the feeling. She made her way back over to Annie.

That was two people who had said they had a bad feeling about this mission. Now his stomach was in knots and he was beginning to feel as though maybe this was a bad idea himself. When he finished his checklist he made his way over to Erwin.

Erwin saw him approaching and ended his conversation with one of the flight deck attendants so he could speak with him. “What can I help you with Levi?”

“I’ve been told that two people have talked to you about having a bad feeling about this mission.”

“Yes, Armin and Mikasa have voiced their concerns. Unfounded as they are.”

“Don’t brush them off so easily, Erwin. It’s an odd hour, far too early to be going in for something like this. We don’t have much intel, or at least we didn’t as of yesterday. So if something has changed, please let me know. We should have been briefed on it anyway.”

“Nothing has changed. But the early hour will give us the advantage. We have surprise on our side for this, Levi. Everything will be fine.”

Erwin’s reassurances did little to quell the knots in his stomach. But he could not go against orders. So he gave a halfhearted salute and headed back over to his craft, sending up a prayer to anyone listening to keep them all safe. Levi was less than ready to take out the fleet’s lifeline.


	17. That Fateful Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several years into the past we go.
> 
> Also credit goes to Robert Laurence Binyon for the poem, though I edited it just a touch so it fit the story a touch better.

**-August 23 rd, 2010-**

**-Legion HQ-**

**-2030hrs-**

_____________________________

It was a comfortable evening at headquarters. Levi was patiently waiting for Petra to come back from the kitchen with their tea. Eld, Gunther, and Olou where busying themselves with a card game on the other end of the table. Apparently things weren’t going to plan because Olou was all in a tizzy over something; it ended as it always did, with him biting his tongue too hard.

“Here you are, sir.” Petra set a cup of tea before him, taking her seat across from him with her own cup. “I do hope it’s to your liking.”

He lifted the cup, letting the smell of it calm him. “It always is, Petra.” The first sip was just the right temperature; not too hot, not too cool. It slid down his throat and calmed his nerves.

Things had been going almost too well as of late. Their efforts to destroy the Scarface squadron were far too fruitful. Their luck was bound to run out soon; Levi could feel it in his bones. The tea helped to alleviate that feeling of unease. Good company didn’t hurt either.

He idly chatted with Petra, trying to ignore the loud outbursts of the men to their right as things didn’t go the way they wanted. Like right now, Eld was claiming that Olou was cheating, Olou was profusely denying that fact, and Gunther was sneaking glances at the stack of aces Olou had hidden on his chair. Levi could have cared less, but he could tell that Petra was about to go off on them. She had that little twitch in her eyebrow that she always got when she was irritated.

But there was something about that twitch that was very specific. It always meant she was going to blow up on Olou. Not anyone else, always him. He seemed to get on her nerves the worst. But despite this apparent annoyance that he was to her, the two had gathered him and Erwin into an office to request the proper paperwork for a relationship a few weeks prior. It had come as a bit of a shock to everyone, but Erwin had signed off on it, letting the two have free reign of being love birds for the last week and a half.

Eld and Gunther were taking bets on how long they’d last. And so far, if how much they yelled at each other was anything to go off of, it probably wouldn’t be long.

Levi raised his cup to his lips again, letting it linger there as he saw Petra finally begin to rise. “Olou Delphine Bozado!” She bellowed, her voice bouncing off the metal walls around them. “Just give it up and show them the damn cards you are hiding! I am tired of listening to all of you argue about this!”

Olou sputtered at the use of his middle name.

“Wait.” Gunther spoke up. “Your middle name is _Delphine_?" His laughter was soon joined by Eld’s. The two nearly fell from their seats they were laughing so hard. Suddenly the room had erupted into chaos. Petra and Olou were fighting, Olou yelling at her for telling everyone his embarrassing middle name and her at him for not just fessing up to cheating. Gunther and Eld were still laughing, but Olou was simultaneously yelling at them even as he had his screaming match with Petra.

Levi just continued to calmly drink his tea. It was moments like these that he cherished after all. They’d all wake up tomorrow closer than ever anyway. Despite the war waging around them, he hoped that moments like this never ended.

_____________________________

**-August 24 th, 2010-**

**-Legion HQ-**

**-0830hrs-**

_____________________________

The loud speaker came to life, waking each member of the Special Ops squad from their pleasant dreams. It took most of them a moment to come to terms with what was rousing them. When they realized that it was someone’s voice crackling through the system calling them to the briefing room, they were up and running, throwing on decent clothing as they raced to get there.

Erwin and Hanji were waiting for them, beginning the briefing as soon as Levi had entered the room. “Just moments ago we intercepted a Sina transmission that was being directed to an air strip on the border.”

Erwin picked up for them. “If this transmission is correct, then the Scarface squadron will be headed into Maria territory in a few short hours to intercept and destroy an important convoy of supplies that is to be delivered here at headquarters later this afternoon.”

“If it doesn’t reach us then we will be experiencing shortages in many things for the next two months. This will mean that rationing will be tighter than it already is and we will likely see a new wave of deserters, something that we can’t afford right now at this crucial time in the war.” Hanji finished.

“We’re counting on you to make sure that convoy gets through. Don’t let us down.”

_____________________________

**-In the Air-**

**\- Western Maria; South East of Cape Quinta-**

**-1100hrs-**

_____________________________

“Sky Eye, this is Ace. Adjusting vector to four-two-nine, do you copy?”

“Ace this is Sky Eye, I copy. Continue on to engage the targets.”

Levi hadn’t faced the Scarface squadron since before he had joined Legion’s ranks. And by faced, he meant literally. He used to fly with them, but no one here knew that. He had left them and been on the outs with them for a year and a half when Legion picked him up. Knowing that he was about to face off against his once-comrades was worrying and left a bad feeling in his gut.

“Roll call.” They were getting close to the intercept point. He needed to make sure everyone was there.

Petra called in first. “Peanut here.”

“Whizzer on your six.” Olou was next.

Eld called out soon after. “Bun-Bun present.”

“Slick ready to go.” Gunther checked in last.

All accounted for and ready. Just a few more miles to go.

_____________________________

**Petra Rahl: Senior Airman; Call sign _Peanut_ ; because she was the shortest person in her original squadron.**

**Olou Bozado: Senior Airman; Call sign _Whizzer_ ; after he pissed himself on the flight deck before his first mission.**

**Eld Jinn: Senior Airman; Call sign _Bun-Bun_ ; after his wife showed up at the base and called out to him.**

**Gunther Schultz: Senior Airman; Call sign _Slick_ ; because of the generous amount of hair gel he uses. **

_____________________________

**-Above Cape Quinta-**

**-1124hrs-**

_____________________________

The moment they reached their mark, chaos erupted. The Scarface jets where coming in from north-north west and Levi and his squad where coming in from almost the exact opposite direction. There was a moment of tactical maneuvers as both squads avoided colliding into one another.

Blue and yellow clashed in the sky shortly thereafter.

“I’m taking heavy fire, someone cover my six!”

“Die you son of a bitch!”

“He’s in my sights!”

The coms were on fire with the squad’s voices, but so far not a single, good hit had been made. Missiles and gun rounds flew through the air, jets twisted and turned; up and down, over and under they flew, dodging, weaving, and circling.

Each of the Scarface squad’s jets was adorned with bright yellow stripes and a big, black number. Thirteen, oh-nine, twenty-seven, forty-two, and thirty-five stood out on the side of the jets; each made a name and face flash before Levi’s eyes. It distracted him, made it hard for him to fire upon people he had once known and looked up too.

That moment of distraction was all it took.

Gunther fell first; yellow twenty-seven fired two missiles that hit their target dead on. Gunther’s plane spiraled down in a ball of flames before him. Someone let out a pained noise over the coms and that was what drew Levi back to reality. But it was too late for him to act.

Eld went down next, crashing his jet into the side of yellow forty-two. Both planes exploded into small, flaming pieces. Olou followed him, shooting down yellow thirty-five before he was taken out by number nine. Petra took out nine in a screaming rage, her voice nearly making him deaf as it came over the com. Thirteen shot her from the sky, cutting her off in a loud crackle of static.

It had all happened in less than five minutes. He was left with thirteen and twenty-seven bearing down on him, closing in fast.

“Abort mission! Abort, abort, abort!” Hanji’s voice was crackling through the com, but he barely registered it.

He wasn’t responding to her when he spoke, voice barely a whisper. “No.” Although they thought that he was. “No.” His voice steadily grew in volume. “No, no, no, no, no, _no_!” He barrel rolled at the last second, barely missing the missiles that had been headed straight for him.

He swooped low, circling back around to chase after the first jet he saw; yellow twenty-seven. Twenty-seven shot into the distance, heading straight over the town below and then heading for the hills to its south. Levi followed, hot on its tail. He barely caught a glimpse of the other jet retreating to the north.

It didn’t surprise him. The old man had always been a fucking coward at heart. But he had another jet to focus on. There would be time for payback later. Twenty-seven shot low, narrowly missing the hills below and if Levi hadn’t pulled up when he did, the small boy on that hill would have been hit.

They circled back over toward the town and Levi finally had him. Two missiles. One to the left wing, the other straight up the ass. Twenty-seven unfortunately crashed into the town below.

“Come on home, Ace.” Hanji’s voice was like a lighthouse. What else was there to do at this point?

His squad was gone.

_____________________________

**-August 28 th, 2010-**

**-Greater Maria Cemetery-**

**-Trost-**

**-1430hrs-**

_____________________________

The rain fell cold and uncomfortable upon them as they gathered around the row of crosses. The dirt before them was freshly turned, the names freshly engraved, the flowers newly picked. Not a solitary soldier who could afford to make it had stayed away. It was in a solemn voice that Erwin spoke.

“With proud thanksgiving, a parent for its children,  
Legion mourns for their dead whom we will no longer see.  
Flesh of its flesh they were, spirit of its spirit,  
Fallen in the cause of the free.”

“Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal  
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.  
There is music in the midst of desolation  
And a glory that shines upon our tears.”

“They went with songs to the battle, they were young,  
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.  
They were staunch to the end against odds duly counted,  
They fell with their faces to the foe.”

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:  
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.  
At the going down of the sun and in the morning  
We will remember them.”

“They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;  
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;  
They have no lot in our labor of the day-time;  
They sleep beyond the sky’s dome.”

“But where our desires are and our hopes profound,  
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,  
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known  
As the stars are known to the Night;”

“As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,  
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,  
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,  
To the end, to the end, they remain.”

When Erwin had finished he stepped forward, laying a single blossom upon each of the new graves. And in turn each soldier thereafter did the same until only one remained. His hair was dripping wet, soaked black locks falling into his face. He didn’t bother to push them away.

The guilt fell heavy upon his shoulders and no number of condolences could ease his self inflicted suffering. He would never fly again. That was the promise he had made. A promise made in the blood that had fallen to the floor in his drunken stupor the day before. Vengeance for their deaths was not worth the painstaking amount of time it would take.

Yellow thirteen, Kenny, was gone; not to be seen for who knows how long. Pursuing him would only end in more pain than he was already in. Moving on was for the best.

With a heavy heart he walked away, water logged as he was. Climbing into a car had never felt so taxing. He didn’t bother to start it, just sat there, listening to the sound of the rain fall upon the window. Then he screamed.

Nothing had ever felt so liberating.


	18. Operation Early Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad things happen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves, this chapter marks the beginning of a downward spiral of serious angst for a while. Sorry!

**-Operation Early Bird-**

**-Location: Laos Harbor-**

**-East Rose Territory-**

**-Nov.19.2015-**

**-0530hrs-**

**-Slightly Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy the Zeus fleet’s two major fuel sources.-**

**_____________________________**

The sun had yet to fully rise, leaving only the glow of it on the horizon as the entire Freedom squad approached Laos Harbor. Levi could still make out several stars above, even with his helmet on.

The com crackled to life as he sent out for roll call. Each member replied in turn. Hanji was waiting to greet them when they were done, but the usually cheerful voice was not to be heard. “Commence operation. Split into your groups and destroy your appointed targets.”

Everyone was in a serious mood for this mission. They all staid on the same frequency in case the enemy had a wave of emergency responders in place, but Eren, Levi, Krista, Bertolt, and Connie all headed for the refinery, leaving the others to make their way to the off shore platform.

“You sure this is smart? We’re over the bad guys.” Connie voiced. No one answered.

Out in the water a tanker exploded; Krista confirmed that it was her. Hanji instructed the other group to change their vector in order to reach the platform and then tapped them into the enemy radios. Since one of the tankers had exploded they knew they were under attack now.

_Don’t be over eager in pursuing them._ An enemy soldier radioed just as a group of enemy jets came into view. Visibility was bad this early in the morning. It was one of the reasons missions didn’t typically take place at this hour unless it was an emergency.

“We might as well be surrounded!” He heard Jean call out. Things must have been getting bad where they were. The dark wasn’t helping and the sun couldn’t have risen any slower, but it seemed as though it was.

“We’re taking heat from below!” Levi realized that whoever had called that out was right. The guns on the ground had opened fire. The city was nothing more than a series of lights below him, but it was easy to see where the guns were because each shot made a series of flashes.

“I’m hit!” Someone yelled. Levi thought it sounded like Reiner. “I’ll fly this piece of shit somehow!” At least he wasn’t going down without a fight. In the midst of all the voices on the radio, Levi thought he heard a familiar voice from the enemy link. But it was so faint he couldn’t be sure.

Annie’s voice came through loud and clear as she said, “Platform in sight.” At least someone was closing in on a target. His group was stuck dancing with fighter jets.

_Commit all reserve aircraft immediately._ The enemy was about to send in more than what was in the air already. “Keep a sharp eye.” He called. “We might have more company soon.”

“Look out!” Hanji was screeching at someone.

Levi’s sensors were screaming at him, someone was locked onto him.

“Can’t get close to the rig.” Marco voiced as Levi barrel rolled away from the missiles.

He heard someone let out a joyous shout then heard Hanji declare that the drilling platform had been destroyed. “What about the other target?” Sasha asked.

“Focus on not getting shot down!” Jean yelled back at her. “We still got bogeys!”

“Take ‘em down!” Annie bellowed. “Watch your six, Govie!”

“Give ‘em all you got!” That was Mikasa.

Levi and his group were still bogged down with enemy fighters. Between trying to get a descent lock on to a target and being targeted by others, things weren’t looking good.

“Have the oil reserves been hit?”

“We’re trying over here!” Eren hollered back. He sounded frustrated and with good reason. Levi suddenly had a tall building come up before him. He pulled up hard, barely avoiding crashing into the thing. He’d have to pay better attention to his altitude this close to the city.

From what Levi could hear the other group was giving the enemy hell. He finally got a clearing as Connie took out the fighter behind him and drew the heat of the others in the area. He swung down low, getting away from the city and heading straight for the gas tanks on the ground along the coast.

He watched as the place went up in a succession of large explosions. He would have to be careful about this because he was running low on missiles, so he swapped over to his gun and flew lower to get in range. He watched as Eren took out the field of tanks next to him, causing the other half of the facility to go up in flames.

“Facility neutralized! Mission complete!” Hanji called out to everyone. Everyone began to celebrate and got ready to head home, but Hanji cut them off.

“Um…Ace, heavy group hot. Appears to be five targets in the group.” They sounded worried.

He heard Marco call in after that. “I got eyes on the bogeys. We got five Su-37 Terminators, all yellow.”

Levi’s blood ran cold. This was the bad feeling Armin and Mikasa had felt. The Scarface squad was the reinforcements and they were on top of the other group.

“What the-” Marco was cut off.

“Marco!” Sasha’s voice cracked. “Oh God…”

“Get out of there!” Levi screamed. “Abort, abort!”

Hanji didn’t come back on the com, instead it was Mike, their second in command. “All aircraft disengage and return to base. Head south immediately.”

The coms were still linked into the enemy’s feed. _We’ve got clearance to engage. Splash all hostile aircraft._ That voice sent shivers down Levi’s spine. The bastard probably had a smug look on his face right now too.

“They have the advantage on us.” Levi knew Mikasa was only addressing the remaining members of her group. “Don’t do anything stupid. Just get out.” If it hadn’t been a death sentence and against orders Levi would have been headed for them, not for base. But he had his own portion of the squad to look after. If there were five members of the Scarface squad on top of the others, it wasn’t too hard to believe that other members might show up right on top of this part of the group either.

“Govie speed up!” Annie yelled.

“I can’t. Took too much damage earlier. My left engine is about shot.” He responded.

“Bank left, I’ll settle in behind you.”

“No. You can’t do this Rico!”

“I can and I will, Govie. Now bank left!”

“Rico. Stand down and return to base ASAP.” Mikasa commanded.

“Sorry, Red. No can do.” It was the last thing Annie said before her com link went out.

**_____________________________**

The moment everyone touched down Levi was looking for Annie’s jet. But he didn’t see it. Mikasa just gave him a shake of her head with a sad look on her face and he knew. Mikasa explained, as best she could with a shaky voice, that one of the yellows had locked onto Reiner and Annie had slid in right behind him before the missile could hit him. She went down so that he could live.

For being a big, tough looking guy, Reiner was a mess. Bertolt escorted him away; they could be debriefed later.

The mood in the briefing room was solemn, each had their heads bowed. Despite this Mike pressed on. “In Technical Sergeant Zoe’s absence, I will be debriefing you.” Levi knew that Hanji had a delicate heart and they would be mourning this loss just like the rest of them. “The enemy lost five million barrels of reserves and the ability to process two hundred and fifty thousand barrels of crude oil daily. The Zeus fleet has been effectively immobilized and is no longer a threat to our operations.”

Erwin cut in at the end. “Unfortunately, your skills will now be relied on more than ever to compensate for our collateral damages.”

Levi shot him a glare. Now was not the time to be saying such things. Erwin could be such an asshole.

“Collateral damages?” Jean shot off. “How can you talk like that? They were our friends!” He lunged forward, intent to scratch out Erwin’s eyes, but Mikasa and Ymir grabbed him. He struggled for a while before collapsing and being escorted from the room.

Everyone else slowly left except Levi. He remained, as did Erwin. “You knew.” He whispered, shooting his gaze to Erwin. “You fucking knew they would get called in and you didn’t tell me!” His fists slammed against the table.

“It was necessary to keep you in the dark.”

“Fuck you! I could have lost my squad again you ass! You know what that did to me last time! I did not come back just to have it all ripped away again!”

“If I had told you, would you have gone? Would you have let them go?”

Levi stayed silent. He wasn’t going to play this game with Erwin.

“No, you wouldn’t have. Because as much as you hate to admit it, Levi, you’re scared of them. And if you think for one second that I don’t know you used to be a member of Scarface, then you are mistaken.” That got Levi’s attention. He snapped his head to face Erwin. “I know all about you. I know where you were born, who you were born to. I know who you’ve killed and who you’ve tried to kill. But what I don’t know is why you’re afraid of him.”

“It’s none of your damn business.” Levi hissed. “None of it fucking is!”

He threw a punch, catching Erwin off guard. The tall blonde crashed into the chairs behind him as he fell. When he pulled himself up, a hand rubbing carefully at his jaw, Levi was gone.


	19. O Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for major feels...Funerals are so hard!

**-November 21 st, 2015-**

**-Greater Maria Cemetery-**

**-Trost-**

**-1430hrs-**

**_____________________________**

Death was a strange thing. When it happened to someone else you could only truly feel sympathy for them and hope that they could move on. But when it happened to you, when the death was of someone you knew directly, closely, even intimately, it was a completely different thing. It suddenly became the hardest concept to grasp, it didn’t make sense. But when it finally set in, that you had lost someone, that you would never see them again, it ached.

Not just a simple ache, but a deep ache; one that tears at your heart and soul and mind. It draws tears from your eyes and keeps you up for hours on end; it makes your chest feel like it will explode and implode all at once. You lose your breath, your strength deserts you. You feel helpless and alone and weak. You question everything; your own existence, the meaning of life, how it could have been different.

But most importantly, it makes you think back.

**_____________________________**

Jean met Marco his first day in basic training. At the time they both had plans to finish training so they could go into the navy, but after both their home towns were bombed by enemy Wolf bombers they changed their minds.

But that might be moving a bit too fast. Before they requested transfers to air force training, before their homes were threatened, Marco and Jean shared a bunk. They had the far corner on the left side of their barrack; Jean took top bunk, Marco took bottom. Jean hated the idea of having to stare up at a mattress, thought that he would be too afraid of it falling in on him that he wouldn’t ever be able to sleep. Guess he never considered that it would be pretty scary to be the one on that mattress when it fell. Marco hated heights, would much rather have stared up at a mattress and known he was close to the ground than run the risk of falling in his sleep from that height or having to climb up that ladder to get into bed each night.

The two formed a bond, but it took time. Just because they shared a bunk didn’t mean they were automatically best bros. No, they avoided each other for the first few weeks. This was mostly because innocent, little Marco had stumbled upon Jean’s not-so-secret porn stash when he was climbing into bed one night. It was just awkward to be around each other for a while.

But Jean had been in the mess hall at dinner hitting on a girl two weeks later, only to find himself in a tussle with the chick’s boyfriend…her really big boyfriend. He had ended up in the bathroom, shoved into the corner with a bloody nose and a black eye. That’s how Marco had found him. Jean had expected to be laughed at, to be made fun of, not to have a wet rag gently placed against his nose and a soft voice speaking to him with such worry. That was how the two became friends, a trip to the infirmary. And friends they had remained through it all.

The news of the bombings hit them both hard and they talked each other through it, quelled each other’s fears, and strengthened each other’s resolve. It had actually been Marco who had suggested they consider joining the air force. But it had been Jean who took the initiative, Marco had simply followed.

Straight into Legion’s air force training program they had gone. Marco was quick to overcome his fear of heights and Jean was quick to overcome his fear of falling. They had motivation, drive; they had each other. Time had flown by, training ending before they knew it. Then they were put on a squad, transferred to another, always together by some miracle, and finally both ended up on the Special Ops squad.

They were just friends. Jean was oblivious; Marco felt more.

And he never would have known…

Except Marco had confessed two days before he died.

Marco had died thinking Jean hated him. And Jean hated himself for that.

**_____________________________**

**In Loving Memory:**

**Marco Denton Bodt**

**June 16, 1990 - November 19, 2015**

**Who Knew That Angels Lived Among Us?**

**Beloved Son, Brother, and Friend.**

**_____________________________**

For some, death only brings back bad memories. Their minds stray from the good and fall into the bad. It makes them feel guilt over words not said and things not done. Eats away at their mind and leaves them in a mess of sobs and disarray. Their own thoughts slowly consume them, leaving them only to lie around in their bed or on their couch, to walk around in a zombie-like state.

Not everyone can come back from this, but for those who do, they are never quite the same. They are careful with their words and even more so with their actions. Emotions stay on high alert and tender are their souls. They live their life with too much regret, seeking solace in being alone or being surrounded by others.

But their mind is always plagued by the past.

**_____________________________**

Reiner met Annie in primary school. Yes, the good old days of elementary school and the beginning of friendships that will likely be cut in middle school. She was the new kid, her family had moved to town recently because her dad had gotten a new position at his job that required him to change offices.

In those days, Annie had been a closed book. A fourth grade delinquent, though it wasn’t her fault. It was the others who instigated it all, she simply defended herself. But the teachers had a policy, a shitty policy; anyone involved in whatever incident occurred was punished, even if they hadn’t been in the wrong.

It was an instance like this that had caused the two to meet. Reiner had been out sick when Annie had arrived and first begun to attend her classes. Even as children their physiques where much the same as they were later in their young adulthood. Annie was short, but back then she was withdrawn, shy, but still just as tough. Reiner was of an average height for his age, but he was still a bit chubby with child fat, although that didn’t mean he wasn’t good at sports.

He was well known as a good player on his schools junior sports teams. He was also well known, even for one so young, for the guy whose father had instilled in him a deep respect for women of all ages. So when he waltzed back into the school building on that Wednesday to find Annie being shoved up against the wall in the corner by the janitor’s closet by a group of assholes, he acted.

It ended with the four assholes, himself, and who he soon learned was Annie, sitting outside the principal’s office waiting on parents to arrive, only after the assholes had had a trip to the nurse’s office of course. They didn’t look so pretty. Reiner was sporting a black eye and Annie had a nasty bruise forming on her cheek, but otherwise they were fine. And after Reiner’s father, who was on the school board and a lawyer, gave the principal an earful about how the fact that Reiner and Annie were being punished for self defense was wrong on all counts, the two became quick friends, as did their parents.

They spent so much time together that in middle school people thought they were secretly dating. Freshman year of high school things changed. Bertolt came into the picture and their duo became a trio with Annie’s persuasion. Their friendship remained strong, but Reiner branched off. His focus became to get a sports scholarship and his interest in girls skyrocketed. He still found time to spend with his two friends, but he spent more time playing the field, in both ways, than he did with them.

Then the effects of the war hit them. All three of them suddenly had their dad’s taken by the draft. Neighboring towns got struck by bombs. The school was flooded with refugee students. Their mother’s lost their jobs in favor of giving jobs to refugees. Bertolt’s mother soon ran off; she left no note, no explanation, just left. So Bert moved in with Reiner and his mother.

Annie’s mother went next, but the circumstances were different. Her mother was desperate for work, desperate for anything to make the sudden hell she found herself in go away. The news that her husband had been killed set off a chain of events in her, one that took a turn for the worst. Annie found her hanging from the tree in their backyard when she came home from school one day. So she moved in with Reiner and Bert.

Reiner’s mother was killed in an accident their final year of high school. They had a month left until graduation, when the bombers came through their town. There was no warning, so sirens like they have now, not even a sound from above; just a sudden whistling and an explosion. Reiner’s mom was on her way home from work when they hit. Her car was hit by the blast from one of the bombs and sent slipping into the ditch. She bled out from her injuries before anyone could get to her.

They all grieved their losses together and when graduation was over, they all agreed to join the forces so they could be a part of ending the war that had ruined their families. They went their separate ways for a time after training, but they had been brought back together by the special ops squad, the Wings of Freedom. Their family had been reunited, but for what? At what cost?

Now Bert and Reiner were alone. Annie had given her life to save him and he felt bad about that. He found his solace in Bertolt in a way that he hadn’t expected; they found solace in each other in a way that neither of them had expected. Annie always had been the glue that kept them together.

Maybe there was still enough of her left to make things work.

**_____________________________**

**In Loving Memory:**

**Annette Joanne Leonhart**

**June 22, 1989 – November 19, 2015**

**Friend, Comrade, Daughter.**

**You Will Always Be Missed.**

**_____________________________**

When the death of someone close is fresh, we find ourselves wishing to deny it, or even accidentally forgetting it. We might see something and think “I should tell so-n-so about this” only to find them not there to tell or we might drive by their house and then upon passing suddenly remember that they no longer inhabit that residence. Breaking out into sobs in the car or when alone is normal in such circumstances. Letting it out is important to moving forward.

But even more important is closure. As much as we might not wish to be there, the funeral for the lost is perhaps the most important step in moving on. To lay them to rest, say those final good-byes, brings about a certain peace of mind, and, however unfounded some might say it is, it allows us to hope and think that they are in a better place.

Yet still there is a hole in one’s life that never seems to fill or mend.

**_____________________________**

Reiner and Bertolt laid a bundle of roses atop the fresh grave. Standing there felt so surreal. This was the end, she was gone. They would never see her again. Next to them Jean was slumped over Marco’s grave, two roses gripped tightly in his hand, the thorns cutting into his hand, sending drops of crimson to splatter on the dirt. It was with heavy hearts that the Freedom squad turned to leave; only getting Jean to go with some coaxing.

Levi stood by his car, waiting for Eren to return. Today was far too similar to _that day_ for him to walk up that hill and join them. He should have been up there, but it felt like he would be intruding. He hadn’t known Marco or Annie for long, they were part of his squad, but they were the friends of the rest of his squad above all else.

It was not his place. And honestly, he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to face them all. Having to look Eren in the eyes each morning since had been hard enough.

The drive home was quiet, interrupted only by one of Eren’s quiet sobs from time to time. The rest of the day progressed much the same back on the L.S. Rogue. And as the day drifted into night, Levi climbed into bed with Eren, wrapping the younger tightly in his arms as he cried himself to sleep.

He just wanted this damn war to be over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hurt me!


	20. Indestructable Fleet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here begins the real shit fest. Prepare yourself. Have tissues on hand just in case.

**_A highway being built in a wheat field outside of town…_ **

**_I remember how the mayor bragged about it when construction first began, even though it would go around our town._ **

**_It became the SNC force’s makeshift runway, and the unfinished tunnels became their bunkers._ **

**_Such was there base._ **

**_They were the elite squadron, chosen to protect the cannon. Ironically, the same cannon that was created to shoot down the asteroids, became a weapon in the war._ **

**_But when the Legion attacks no longer came, the squadron was assigned long-range missions that took them to far-off battlefields._ **

**_I thought of what words I would use to confront him and bided my time. Although I concealed these feelings within me, I could never get close to him._ **

**_His wingman was always by his side. Despite having a gentle demeanor, I could tell that she would never allow danger to get near Yellow 13, even on land._ **

**_The pillar of the group, 13 gave off an air of invincibility. He always chose the five-plane formation to fly. He prided himself not on his kill record, but on the record of having lost fewer squad members than any other squadron._ **

**_It’s difficult for me to describe just how good he was at flying. But I witnessed it several times from the ground._ **

**_The leader of the five-plane formation should have turned the same arc with the same timing as the others…_ **

**_Yet only his plane drew sharp streamers in the sky. His heart felt compassion toward the weaker enemies he downed. Someday, if an equal arose and challenged the limits of his skills in a fight, he would bear no offense in being shot down._ **

**_He said so himself._ **

**_And so as time passed, I found the kindness of a home in their group._ **

**_Leaving them was no longer an option for me now…_ **

**_____________________________**

It had been two days since they had laid their comrades to rest. The squad was a bit of a mess, but here they were, all situated around the briefing room’s table, patiently waiting for Erwin and Hanji to arrive. Apparently Erwin thought it was best to act now in order to complete the destruction of the Zeus fleet. From what Levi understood, Hanji disagreed, being that the squad was in such disarray.

They had made it painfully clear to him that Reiner, Bertolt, and Jean had no business being briefed or behind the controls of a plane for at least three weeks, as per the Legion shrink’s orders. Each member of the squad was required to visit the psychiatrist for a one hour session after the loss of squad members. It was protocol and as such each of them had done so over the last two days.

But their resident shrink, Dr. Moblit Berner, who just so happened to be one of Hanji’s close friends, had insisted that all but those three were fit for duty. He was requiring them to come in for more sessions until they had properly grieved and moved on. Grief was dangerous on the battle field.

But Erwin seemed set on ignoring Moblit’s diagnosis. Hence, why he could be heard arguing with Hanji from down the hall.

“We have time, give them more time!” Hanji yelled.

“If we don’t act soon they will build up their defenses and get the fleet back on its feet! We don’t have time, Hanji! We need to act now or this whole operation goes to shit and we fail!” Erwin yelled back. “We can’t fail!”

“And I understand that! But they just lost people they were close with, damn it! Put them in the ground two days ago! They are still grieving and you know that three of them are not cleared for active duty! Briefing them is useless because they can’t be put in the air even if things go bad! Send them home! Put them on a helicopter and send them back to our land base for a couple of weeks! Give them a break!”

“Stand down, Hanji. I do not want to have to court martial you for insubordination. But don’t think that I won’t. I am the Chief of this establishment; I make the final decisions on missions. This is not your place to speak up. If you think that members of this squad are incapable of performing their duties then I will put them on temporary leave or transfer them. Now let’s go brief them so this mission can get under way.”

Erwin usually had the final word as always, but Hanji was not about to let this go so easily. “If you want to blatantly put the lives of your elite soldiers in danger, then so be it. But I will have no part in it. If you brief them, I’m done. I will send in the paperwork to Zackly himself, before the day is up, to be discharged. Don’t think I won’t.”

Erwin gave them an appraising look. “Then you better start filling it out, because if you think that threatening me with your own discharge will change anything, it won’t. You’re expendable. We have plenty of technical sergeants who can replace you.” He left them to gape at his retreating figure, left to watch as he entered the briefing room unphased by their threat.

He seemed equally unphased by the obvious fact that everyone had just heard what he and Hanji had been arguing about. But that was Erwin for you. He took his position seriously; sometimes Levi thought a bit too much. And with the way Erwin had been acting as of late, Levi wasn’t sure that he was still all there. Perhaps the war was finally getting to him. His actions and decision certainly pointed that way. Maybe it was time for Erwin to turn in his badge, call it quits, pass on the title to someone else who hadn’t become bogged down and destroyed by the effects of the war.

But he was quite certain Erwin would hear nothing of such nonsense, so Levi sat there and waited for Erwin to start. The large blonde took a deep breath, calming himself before he began. Like he’d said: failure wasn’t an option; therefore, Hanji was right on some fronts. “Reiner, Bertolt, Jean…I want all of you to pack your bags. You’ll be leaving for our HQ in West Maria later this afternoon. I expect you all to report to the resident psychiatrist there for your grief counseling. You three are dismissed.”

“As for the rest of you,” He began once they had exited, “You will be launching a surprise attack, Operation Rough Seas, on the Zeus Fleet while it lies immobilized at Laos Harbor. This large-scale air strike will be the largest and the most strategic operation since the transfer of HQ to Trost. You may need to resupply along the way because this operation will be long in duration. Remember, it is essential that you complete the mission objective and return to base safely.”

“This is our chance to turn the tides of this war for the first time in years. Granted, there is still much to be done and more tides to turn if we are to win, but this is the first step. Failure here means failure across the board. Don’t let us down.”

The speed with which he exited the room was surprising. Levi knew he would be headed to his office, not the flight deck, so he headed after him at a leisurely pace. He barged into the office, not bothering to knock. What he found surprised him.

Erwin looked shocked, an emotion that rarely passed over the man’s face, to be caught with a bottle of whiskey in hand. Levi glared at the bottle. “You’re drinking again? Is that why you’ve been so out of it?”

“Levi, I can explain.”

“You had better be able too, because the last fucking time you had a bottle of that shit in your desk was before I lost my first squad. We had time to better plan back then, just like we do now, but you chose, in your drunken stupor, to send us in quickly. We lost half of the forces that were sent in on that mission, because you weren’t thinking clearly! Why are you drinking again? Is it really so bad that you have to turn to the bottle again?”

“You know nothing, Levi!” Erwin snapped. The man who always kept his cool, always thought things through, thought out every word, every movement, placed every strand of his stupid fucking hair into the perfect place for everything, snapped.

“You don’t know what I have given up for this war, what I have lost! You have no room to talk, to chastise me for my actions! Anyone in my position would turn to this for some form of comfort, some kind of escape! Don’t come talking to me like we all have perfect little wives or husbands to run to when things get bad, because we don’t!”

“We aren’t you, Levi! We don’t have precious little brats to hold and cry on! Some of us had to give up everything, including our ability to properly feel, so that this fucking war can drag on and maybe find an end, because the people in charge are too stupid to just sit down in a room together and talk it out like real men!” Erwin was huffing in each breath, his face red from exertion.

“So I’ll be damned if I let you waltz in here and question my choices in life! It’s my life, what little of it I likely have left, and I will damn well do what I please with it! And since I am in charge of this fucked up establishment, if it is my choice to send you and your annoying, dipshit of a husband into the midst of battle, knowing that he will die and you will have to witness every agonizing moment of it, then I will say so and you will God damn listen!”

It took a moment for them both to react. Erwin suddenly looked horrified at what he had just said, wishing he could take it all back. But it was too late for that. Levi almost never broke his mask; the exception to that was around Eren. But now, standing before Erwin, who had just insulted his husband, had outright said that he would off Eren if he thought it necessary, that mask broke down. Fury took over Levi’s features.

He vaulted over Erwin’s desk, crashing into the taller man with a force that left Erwin breathless. Punch after punch was landed on the side of Erwin’s face, the force taking him to the ground, selves falling down with him. The clattering echoed down the corridor outside the office, making Hanji, who was packing up their office and several other officers to emerge and gaze toward the Chief’s closed office door.

Levi regained his footing, standing tall over the fallen figure beneath him and landed several, strategically placed kicks to Erwin’s ribs. This left Erwin gasping even harder for breath. The bottle of whiskey lay shattered beside him, his shirt soaking in the spilled liquor.

Outside, Hanji was the first to make a move for the door. Mike close behind them, even though he was supposed to be on his way up to the flight deck, since Hanji would be leaving with Reiner, Bert, and Jean, and would be unable to do their job this mission. But it was the loud groan of pain that had their steps speeding up.

They flung the door open to find Erwin pulling himself up from the floor via the bookcase, blood dripping from his nose, lips, and the gash on his forehead, with a shattered bottle in his other hand brandished as a weapon. On the floor lay Levi, clutching tightly at his abdomen as blood flooded from around his hands, the most pained look Hanji had ever seen upon his face as he writhed in agony.

“Mike!” They screamed. He had paused back in the hallway when the smell of blood had reached his nose; he appeared in the doorway now. Hanji turned to him, “Mike, you need to keep this under wraps. They cannot know about this, _Eren_ cannot know about this until after the mission. You need to get them in the air and safely home. Say that Levi got sick or something. I don’t know. Go. Now Mike!”

He was off and running for the flight deck. Hanji rushed over to Levi, tugging off their jacket and using it to apply pressure to Levi’s wound. “What happened?” They asked Erwin. When he didn’t respond they turned to see him staring at the bloody bottle in a daze. “Erwin!” That had him looking at them, his face pale, drained of blood. “What the fuck happened?!”

He just shook his head and slumped to the floor, staring off into space with a horrified look on his face. Hanji nearly went over and punched him themself, but now was not the time. “Can I get some help in here!?” They called out. “We need medical assistance!”

They looked down at Levi’s face as he groaned again. “Hang in there, Levi. Stay with me.” But he couldn’t register their words properly. The pain was so intense, spreading through his veins like wildfire, nipping at his conscious like the teeth of a wolf.

It was too much to bear, more than he could handle. So he let himself succumb to the pain, leaving Hanji to watch as his eyes rolled back into his head.


	21. Operation Rough Seas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one knows...yet.

**-Operation Rough Seas-**

**-Location: Laos Harbor-**

**-East Rose Territory-**

**-Nov.23.2015-**

**-1200hrs-**

**\- Cloudy with low lying fog coverage-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy and decommission the Zeus fleet.-**

**_____________________________**

When Mike came onto the flight deck alone, Eren was worried. He’d already gone over his flight check, though, so he approached the large blonde to see where Levi was.

“Where’s Levi?” Concern laced his tone.

Mike looked at him a moment. The pause was a bit odd, but he finally answered. “Said he felt sick, didn’t want to risk compromising the mission. You and Mikasa are going to take point. Be ready.” And then he headed over to his own crew to get ready for takeoff.

Eren felt a bit uneasy and was tempted to go find Levi or stay behind to take care of him. But if Levi was feeling ill, he would get mad at Eren for trying to baby him when there was a mission to be taken care of. And one of the stipulations for Eren to remain on the Freedom squad was that Levi didn’t get in the way of carrying out his duty. That meant he had to go.

He jogged over to let Mikasa and the others know what was going on. It would be them and Ymir, Connie, and Sasha on this mission, Krista would be on stand-by.

Everyone was jittery as they climbed into their jets. It was weird that there were so few of them now. They’d have to be careful out there. Without Levi or the others to back them up, things could get dangerous fast. Only time would tell. Eren crossed his fingers and readied himself for the worst.

**_____________________________**

Looking down Eren could begin to make out the light from the city below. It was unfortunate that there would likely be civilian casualties involved in bringing down the fleet, but it couldn’t really be helped in this location. There were four main areas that needed to be hit: the portion of the fleet that was leaving the harbor, those stationed in the old part of the city, those in the new section of the harbor, and then the submarine base on the far side of the harbor.

If the squad had been completely intact, they could have split into groups and each hit a different facility, but with their small numbers, each area would have to be hit individually and in quick succession. They couldn’t risk losing anyone for this.

Mike’s voice came over the com system. “Initiate attack. All aircraft cleared to engage any and all targets. Sink the fleet while they are anchored. Good luck.”

They started with the fleet leaving the harbor. They would be the easiest targets to take out. However they would still have to dodge and weave through the missiles that the destroyers could fire.

Watching that first ship blow up sent a thrill through his blood. And each one after sent an equally as exciting thrills through him. From there they made their way to the old part of the city and harbor. They took out several loading cranes and other facilities as they flew through on their way to the sub base. Thankfully the subs were surfaced, which made it easy to destroy them.

A few destroyers where around the subs, so those were taken out as well. It was actually a little worrisome that there wasn’t much air support for the fleet. Every ship they sunk blocked others from being able to move out of the harbor. It was kind of like a traffic jam and that worked in their favor.

When the subs were taken care of the headed back to the old part of the city, taking out more loading cranes and the ships that where docked there. Most of the ships here where supply ships, but those were equally important in keeping the Zeus fleet out of order. Mikasa took out the fuel tanks that where there as well.

Then it was to the new section of the harbor. The main part of the fleet was stationed here all in neat little rows. Quick maneuvering and missiles took them out easily. Almost too easily. Eren wondered for a moment if the SNC had given up on their famous fleet. After all, there had been very little to deal with in terms of enemy air support.

With all the ships out of the way, they went ahead and made sure that the fuel supplies and cranes where taken care of just in case they could get any of the ships up and running again. Materials used for repairs were destroyed as well. When all was said and done there actually wasn’t as much damage done to the actual city as Eren had expected. It was likely that no civilians were hurt at all.

Mike’s voice came through again. “Enemy fleet and harbor facilities have been confirmed as destroyed. All air craft return to base.”

As Eren headed back he heard Connie start singing Legion’s anthem through the coms. It wasn’t long before they all joined him as they flew back.

“O'er sapphire skies,  
And bright green plains,  
Where liberty and integrity win through,”

It wasn’t long before they all joined him as they flew back.

“With bravery and power,  
We'll battle to the finish,  
For freedom in our land.”

Nothing could have ruined the day.

**_____________________________**

Gathering in the briefing room to be debriefed without Levi or Chief Smith there had the returning pilots a bit confused. It was Hanji and Mike who where addressing them.

“The destruction of the so-called “indestructible fleet” has indefinitely delayed the SNC’s plan to attack Trost.” Hanji commented.

Mike finished the debriefing off by saying, “We are still far from triumphant, but this victory was accompanied by a much needed boost in morale.”

The others filed out the door slowly. “Eren.” Hanji called. “Could we have a word in private?”

Eren looked over at them. “I really need to go check on Levi, so try to make this quick, please.”

They exchanged glances and Eren didn’t like the looks on their faces. “It’s about Levi.”

“What about him? Is he okay?”

“You might want to sit down.” Mike suggested.

This did little to calm Eren down; if anything it made him more frantic to hear what they had to say. “What is going on?”

“Before the mission, there was an incident involving Chief Smith and Senior Master Sergeant Ackerman.”

“An incident?” His face was beginning to pale. “What kind of incident?”

“Please sit down, Eren.” Mike insisted. “Hanji and I had no choice but to make the decision we did regarding the mission and its pilots. It was deemed safest to have you stay out of the loop until you returned so the mission could commence and you could all be safe.”

“Would you just tell me what happened already!?” Eren nearly launched himself at Mike. Hanji barely subdued him, wrestling him into a chair and then speaking calmly as Mike held him in place.

“They got into a fight, Eren. What about, we aren’t sure. Erwin isn’t talking and Levi is…he’s, well…he was in the infirmary, but the injury he sustained was a bit more than the nurses and doctor on board could handle.” Eren began to squirm, shaking his head as though it would make this all go away, make it a lie. “He was transported back to Trost via helicopter about twenty minutes after you all left for the mission. You have to understand, Eren. We didn’t tell you because we knew you would be a wreck. The squad needed you on the mission with them or everything would have gone to shit.”

Eren had stopped listening after the word helicopter. Levi was in Trost, injured and in Trost, and Eren was stuck on the L.S. Rogue. He knew fully well that if he requested time off and transport to go see his husband that it would be declined, especially with the already dwindling numbers of the squad. Once Jean, Reiner, or Bert got back there was a higher possibility that he might be able to leave, but since it was Levi who was absent there was still a chance that it would need to be all other hands on deck till his return.

Hanji was still trying to explain why they had made the choice they had when Eren interrupted. “Is he okay?” Hanji stopped mid sentence and slowly processed Eren’s question.

“We don’t know. Word hasn’t come back yet about his condition. All we can do is wait.”

Eren gave a shake of his head, calmly rising from the chair, Hanji and Mike’s arms falling from him. He solemnly walked out of the room and headed for his quarters. He passed through the mess hall on the way there. The others called out to him, but he paid them no heed. Only when he got to his and Levi’s room did he break down.

The tears stained his cheeks and the pillow he hugged. He had wrapped himself in the bed’s blankets on Levi’s side, breathing in the lingering smell deeply. He silently prayed that Levi was fine and would be back in his arms soon enough. He did not move when Mikasa entered the room with Armin, nor did he move when they climbed onto the bed with him and held him close like they all had as children.

He needed this comfort now, because as far as he was concerned the day had been ruined.


	22. Injured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See what you've gone and done Erwin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was rough. Also, updates are going to slow down a bit because I am catching up to where I am currently still writing. But at the same time I am liable to throw down and write several chapters in one day in favor of doing my class work...how typical of me!

**-Trost-**

**-Legion Medical Facility-**

**-West Wing-**

**-Nov.24.2015-**

**-0830hrs-**

**_____________________________**

His head felt cloudy, like there was the fog of an early morning lingering behind his eyes. His limbs were heavy and his body ached. Try as he might, his eyelids refused to open. He could hear the faint sound of shuffling footsteps and muffled voices, but it was almost like he was underwater. He wanted to call out to them, but his mouth was dry and his lips wouldn't move.

It was distressing and panic surged through him as he struggled to make his body listen to him. Something must have been happening though, because shuffling footsteps turned to frantic ones and muffled voices became louder in volume. The cloudy feeling didn’t go away, it grew, suffocating him as his panic crept further into his mind. He felt it all embrace him; submerge him into its dark depths. He somehow felt at ease in that dark embrace.

**_____________________________**

“We’re losing him.” A nurse called out as she tried to stabilize the injured figure before her. “Bee-Pee is dropping fast.”

The machine showed his vitals and the line that should have been jumping about, making sharp pointed mountains, was instead beginning to fall flat. “He’s flat lining.”

“We’re gonna need some help in here!” Another nurse yelled into the hallway. A flurry of activity soon filled the room as two more nurses and the doctor on staff for the west wing showed up. A wheeled cart was rolled over, two paddles produced from the side of the machine atop it. The medical robe that covered Levi’s body was pulled away to reveal his chest.

The doctor charged up the defibrillator, hovering the paddles over Levi’s chest. When the machine was ready he called a quick “clear” and pressed them to the pale skin. Levi’s body jolted, the flat line jumping up for a moment, but flattening back out. “Clear” the doctor called again, this time the line fell back into a steady rhythm.

“Keep a close eye on him.” The doctor began to address the nurses.

“Sir.” One of them interrupted from Levi’s bedside.

The doctor turned to look at him. “What is it?”

“He has internal hemorrhaging. The paddles must have upset his injury. He needs to get to an Oh-Are stat.” And the room was in a flurry of activity once again.

**_____________________________**

**-Nov.25.2015-**

**-1030hrs-**

**_____________________________**

The pain that shot through him was enough to make a dead man rise. His eyes shot open and his teeth ground together as he grunted and tensed up. A sheen of sweat broke across his body, leaving him sticky and soaked. Light grey eyes stared up at the ceiling tiles above him, watching as black dots and grey spirals danced on the flawless white. His body began to shake and he could hear the heart monitor racing.

His muscles cramped as he tried to reach for the nurse call button that was on the side of the bed. His breathing grew heavier with each passing second; soon it was following the same rhythm as his heart monitor, the beeping and noise of his breath creating as strange tune for the dots to dance to. He couldn’t seem to get his hand to function well enough to push the button, but he was in fucking pain!

It tore through him, made him feel like he was being ripped apart. Why was he alive to experience this? _Fuck!_ His throat felt raw, but he needed help.

“Nurse.” He tried to call, but it came out sounding like a nasty hoarse, whisper. He painfully cleared his throat and prepared to call out again. But instead of the word nurse, he let forth a painful scream. “AAAGHHHNNN!” His throat was rasped raw once more as the sound ripped from his throat without his permission, teeth mashing together in his agony toward the end.

Tears spilled, unbidden, down the sides of his face and he felt his lungs burn from a lack of oxygen. This caused him to breathe faster, making him start to hyperventilate. Luckily his room wasn’t far from a nurse’s station, so a nurse came bounding into the room, having heard him, and quickly began to press a button over and over on the machine his IV was hooked up to.

He couldn’t feel the liquid flood his veins, but he could feel the pain begin to ebb, his breathing and heart rate beginning to slow along with it. He whimpered in relief and let his body fall slack in its current position. The nurse brought a cup of water to his lips and he took small, slow sips, wincing as his throat burned after each. A cool, wet cloth was used to wipe him down and remove some of the sweat.

He felt much more comfortable now that the pain was gone, his throat didn’t feel as raw, and he had been cleaned up some. He let himself relax, exhaustion threatening to take hold of him. He could faintly make out the nurse saying something to him, though he wasn’t sure what it was. He didn’t want to speak to a nurse, he wanted Eren.

He was pretty sure he mumbled Eren’s name before he fell into a deep sleep.

**_____________________________**

**-Nov.26.2015-**

**-0900hrs-**

**_____________________________**

Levi woke up feeling like he’d just run a marathon. His body ached, but in an oddly good way. When he told this to the male nurse who came in to check on him next, the young man laughed at him and proceeded to explain that he had flat lined several times and had undergone two surgeries in the last forty-two hours; which would explain why his body ached, but not why it felt almost good.

When his doctor came in to check him out later, Levi told him the same thing. He suggested that perhaps it was Levi’s body’s way of telling him he was beginning to recover from the trauma it had experienced.

As for that trauma, Levi’s memory was a bit foggy on the details. He remembered talking, well arguing in a stern voice, with Erwin. He remembered what Erwin had said about Eren; still felt the anger bubble beneath his skin at the thought of it. But as for what happened next, that’s where things got blurred.

He recalled being so, so angry, thought he might have yelled some things, but that could have been what he thought he would have done in such a situation. He was pretty sure he had moved, likely lashed out at Erwin, but the next thing that he truly remembered clearly was the pain. He remembered his abdomen had been on fire and he had hit the floor. There was a blur of Hanji’s face, their voice distorted and muffled and then just nothing.

But he now had a clear picture of where he was and what he had undergone to survive what Erwin had done to him. Speaking of which, what had happened to the bastard? He’d had no communication with anyone on the Rogue and from what it sounded like the doctor had only had minor conversations with anyone there because of his sudden surgery and the need for Eren to be on standby, since he held Levi’s power of attorney while he was under. If anything had gone majorly wrong and a big decision had to be made while Levi was on the table, Eren would have had to make it for him. Levi didn’t want to think about what Eren must have been feeling when he’d been told to wait on hold.

But God, what was Eren feeling right now? How was he holding up? _Shit,_ he needed to see him, talk to him, something! He asked the next nurse who came in about it. It was still early in the day, at this point, if there were no missions taking place then people should be free. He was told they could set up a video conference for him, so that he could see them and they could see him.

As they set up the equipment, he felt a wave of jitters pass through him. He hadn’t been this jittery since his and Eren’s wedding day. The screen came to life a few moments later and he wanted to see Eren’s face not Hanji’s, and to his great joy Eren shoved her out of the screen and nearly broke down right there when he saw Levi’s face.

Oh, he looked awful and Levi wanted to pull him through the screen and hold him, tell him that he was fine, that everything was fine and he was going to be back soon enough. But he couldn’t, he had to settle for keeping it together and comforting him with words, knowing that Hanji was in the room and would never let him live it down, though that knowledge didn’t deter him from becoming an absolute gooshy piece of shit. His husband was worried about him and damn it he was going to make that stop right then and there.

Eren’s face was tears stained, eyes red and blood shot. His usually messy hair was even more unkempt and ratty. It looked oily, like he hadn’t washed it since he found out Levi had been transported to the medical facility. His skin looked oily too. Levi was relatively certain that was the same shirt he’d been wearing when he’d headed for the flight deck to prep for the mission. His husband hadn’t been taking care of himself and he made his displeasure known.

His first words to Eren were, “You look like shit.” To which Eren just gave a relieved laugh, happy that his Levi was still there.

“How kind of you point that out. You look so much better yourself.” But Levi knew he looked like shit, and with good reason.

“You get stabbed in the gut and look like a bowl full of rainbows, then we’ll talk.” He gave a small smile. “I love you, but you’re really hard to look at right now. Go shower or something while I talk to Hanji. I’m not going anywhere and I can smell you from here.”

Eren returned his love and then raced off, hopefully to do more than change clothes. Hanji bounced back onto the screen, a shit eating grin on their face.

“What?” Levi grumbled, a frown finding its way back to his lips.

Hanji giggled like a child. “Nothing. Nothing at all, you lover boy you.” They teased.

“I’m really not in the mood for this.” He sighed. “Can we please just go over what happened? It gets really unclear for me at one point; I would like to have some clarity on the situation.”

“What do you remember?”

“I remember being absolutely pissed about what he had said about Eren and about basically every other word of fucking bullshit he had spewed. It’s unclear after that.”

Hanji sighed. “You must have attacked him, Levi.”

“I would imagine as much. Who wouldn’t attack the man who’d just called their significant other an annoying, dipshit and then threatened to make you watch them die in agony on purpose, all because they have the power to do so?”

Hanji’s eyes were wide when he looked at them, almost unbelieving. “He said that?”

“He said a lot of things, most of it nothing more than a drunk’s stupidity. Did you know he was drinking again?”

“No.” They looked to the floor. “Maybe I should have though.”

They were guilty, he could see it in their body language. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I was around him the most. I should have known he was drinking again.”

“But you didn’t know. None of us did. So don’t blame yourself.”

“He stabbed you, Levi! With a _broken bottle_.”

Levi huffed. “So that’s what hurt like a motherfucker.”

“You need to take this more seriously, Levi. I know you have a tainted past, though I don’t know all the details, but he’s been court marshaled and is being held at Legion’s military prison outside of the remains of Shiganshina. I’ve been placed as co-chief, alongside Mike and some guy named Henry, who apparently is our leading chief master sergeant, until they determine what to do with him. There is talk of dishonorably discharging him from his position and executing him after a thorough investigation into his life and time in Legion.”

Levi laid there, eyes trained on the wall. It was an ugly color now that he really looked at it. Some weird shade of off white, like eggshell or cream, and it made him think of Erwin. Maybe Erwin’s soul was that color; an ugly shade of off white. But even an ugly shade of off white didn’t deserve to be executed for stabbing someone in a drunk induced rage.

He sighed, and figured he’d be doing a lot of that before it was said and done. “I attacked him, he defended himself. Maybe it was overkill, but still. Should he be investigated? Hell yes. Should he be supervised and forced to undergo rehab? Fucking yes. Should he be discharged and executed? What kind of moron even suggested that!?” He cringed as a wave of pain shot through him. Getting worked up would do him no good.

“He needs help, not to be killed. Has he made bad decisions that have lead to the death of soldiers? I’m sure he has. What leader hasn’t at some point or another? The fact remains that Legion can’t afford to lose him in the middle of this war. He might be an ass and a drunk, but he’s got one hell of a mind and has gotten us through more victories than I care to try and count. He’s brilliant with strategy. Get him help, don’t off him. At least not until the war is over. Persecute him for his crimes then, not now, or you’ll kill us all.”

“I’ll let Zackly know how you feel, but don’t count on it changing much.” Their eyes glanced to the side. “Eren’s back.” They gave a knowing smile. “Don’t have too much fun now. We wouldn’t want you to pull something.” They wiggled their eyebrows and then disappeared before he could comment.

Eren’s face appeared on screen again and he felt everything wash away, he completely relaxed. “Hey.”

“Did you wash up well?”

Eren laughed. “Yeah. How do you feel?”

“About as good as I look. But better now that I can see you.” He wanted so badly to be able to touch him though. He even began to reach a hand forward without thinking about it, but caught himself, his hand hovering mid air before the screen, a look of frustration crossing his face.

“I know how you feel.” Eren reassured. “My fingers are itching to touch, too.” He let out a deep huff of air. “I miss you.” Nothing more than a silent whisper.

“I miss you too.”

“Get better soon, Levi. I need you here. Mostly so I don’t do something _stupid_ and get my ass dishonorably discharged.”

“And what exactly would you do?”

Eren’s eyes lit up with something Levi had never seen before. “I’d kill him.”


	23. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren comes for a surprise visit.

**-Trost-**

**-Legion Recovery Center-**

**-Dec.7.2015-**

**_____________________________**

Levi woke with a familiar tug in his mid section. His body was still knitting itself back together and it never missed a chance to let him know. He’d been transferred to the recovery center about a week after he had been admitted to the medical facility, so it had been two weeks since the incident with Erwin.

There had been an official come by to take Levi’s statement a few days ago, though Levi was still foggy on the details of the final moments which led up to his injury. So he wasn’t convinced that his statement would help much in regards to the assault charges, even if it was obvious that Erwin had been his attacker. He’d given the official an earful too, and was thankful to see that he had been required to record everything Levi said with a digital recorder. It made him endlessly happy to know that Zackly and those other pompous fucks would get to hear every lovely word Levi had said on the matter of Erwin’s sentence.

He stretched a hand over to grab the bed remote, pressing and holding the up arrow so that his bed slowly pushed him into a sitting position. He groaned as pain shot through his abdomen. He was stiff, so very stiff, and his physical therapy to try and fix that started today. It was something he was not looking forward to. Recovery was always a bitch and a half.

As he internally mused about how much muscle mass he had lost in two weeks, a shadowed figure creeped into the room with him. Given that this was an armed forces facility, no one should have been able to get in that wasn’t cleared to do so. Even the personnel had to have extensive background checks to get a job and to enter the facility they had to go through the security booth that required a small blood sample for entry.

Sneaking in wasn’t an easy feat. But here was this figure, sneaking along the wall in the shadows as Levi stared out the window and did the math in his head to figure out just how hard regaining his prior strength would be. When Levi finally noticed the figure it was right next to him, just about to jump from the shadows.

What happened next, he would forever deny. Because Levi _most certainly_ did not scream like a little girl and he _most certainly_ did not risk re-opening his wound or make the nurses set off the alarm system. No sir, not any of that.

If anyone asked, he gave a very manly snarl and proceeded to fling the lunch tray at the intruder, followed by taking the cord from the bed remote and subduing the person with it. Because that was _most certainly_ what had happened. Levi was a man after all, a manly man, who was part of the Legion air force. So manly indeed.

Come to realize that all the hub-bub was over none other than Eren himself.

“You little shit, what the fuck do you think you’re doing scaring me like that?!” Levi was quite angry. “And why are you even here? Please tell me you didn’t just leave. You’re gonna get your ass court marshaled.”

Eren laughed. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I just didn’t want to interrupt; you looked so deep in thought.” He placed himself in the bedside chair. “And no, I didn’t just take off. Hanji gave me clearance to leave for a few days. I have to be back by the thirteenth though. We have plans for the fifteenth and I need to be back on base in time to prep.”

“I thought Hanji said it would be too dangerous for you to leave until the other’s got back?” Levi questioned.

“She did, but Reiner was cleared for active duty by Doctor Berner two days ago, so my being gone won’t hurt the squad any worse than it already was.”

“How is he?”

“I didn’t really get to speak to him, but he seems to be all together. He’s accepted that she’s gone and understands that it wasn’t his fault. He doesn’t seem to feel guilty, or at least not _as_ guilty, about Annie’s death.”

“And Jean and Bertolt?”

“Reiner said Bert was still having trouble with it all. Apparently there had been a bit more than friendship blooming between him and Annie, but it was still in the early stages of experimenting with their feelings for each other. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, of course. And Jean, well, Reiner said that he hasn’t said a word and since sessions are private, because doctor-patient confidentiality and all that, he doesn’t know if he’s said anything to Doctor Berner either. Apparently it’s real bad with him.”

“So we might not be seeing them for quite some time.”

“Probably not, I would imagine if things continue the way Reiner explained them we’ll see Bert sooner than Jean. But as bad as he made Jean sound…we might actually be losing a pilot.” Eren frowned.

Levi couldn’t help but frown as well. Losing a pilot was not something that typically happened this way. Pilots were lost because they were shot down, killed in some way, not because they were so stricken with grief and guilt that they couldn’t function again. And in rare cases, a pilot would be lost because they had served their time and were discharged with honors from the force. This situation only brought up questions.

Why was Jean so sad? Why wouldn’t he talk? What had happened between him and Marco that could have caused this? So many questions; all unable to be answered because Jean wasn’t talking and Marco was dead. There was so much for him to worry about. His squad was going to be going on another mission without him; there was no guarantee for their safety.

What if the Scarface squadron struck again? What if he lost them all? What about Eren? If anything happened to Eren he’d never forgive himself; he’d probably die. Could he handle such losses again in his life? It had already happened twice. Third time’s the charm isn’t it? If he lost it all, lost everything he had, again…he would lose himself as well.

His distress must have been obvious upon his face, that or Eren was just that good and telling when he was too far in his thoughts. His husband was grasping his hand and talking to him now. “Hey. It’s okay, Levi. Focus on me right now.”

He tried to focus on Eren’s voice as best he could, but it wasn’t easy. His head liked to continue conversations without his consent and that was exactly what it was doing. But he kept his eyes on Eren and focused on calming his rapid breathing. He wasn’t sure how long it took, but it worked. And when Eren was sure that Levi was focused on something other than the squad’s issues, he instigated a conversation about other things. More important things.

“What do you want to do when the war ends?”

**_____________________________**

Later that day, Eren accompanied him to his first session of physical therapy. No one could have known how much of a good thing that was until after it happened. Levi was an ass, but he was more stubborn than any mule when he wanted to be. And when it came to nurses with grimy hands that had likely touched every patient in the place and had not been properly washed after any and all of their bathroom breaks, Levi drew the line.

“Get your nasty hands away from me, you tall ass motherfucker!” The medical cane Levi had been given to assist him in his walking therapy was swung at the male nurse’s head, the poor man narrowly missed being clocked in the head. Eren stifled his laughter and quickly shot up from his chair to scold his unruly husband.

“Now Levi, be kind to the poor nurse. He’s simply trying to help you.” He sounded like he was mothering a child.

Levi shot him a glare. “I am not being helped by someone whose hands have likely touched every germ infested nook and cranny in the old ass building!” He waved the cane around at Eren’s head for emphasis.

Eren grabbed onto the other end of the cane that was pointed at his face and held it tight. “Stop being an ass,” He moved closer, until he was face to face with him, “and let them do their job. Get better, Levi.” He placed a quick kiss on Levi’s forehead and then let go of the cane, sitting back in his seat.

Levi was not pleased with this, to say the least, but he pulled himself together and allowed his therapy to happen. Moving around like a normal human being tugged at his wound in all the wrong ways. The nurses in charge of his session obviously relayed the message to the doctor at the facility who had been overseeing his case, because the man showed up halfway through to adjust his pain medication dosage.

Things fell into a routine from there. For the next few days his life was filled with nurses, doctors, therapy, and Eren.

He spent mornings eating breakfast with his husband, laughing and talking about good things. Between breakfast and lunch, Levi attended his morning therapy sessions, walking, griping, and bitching about basically anything he could come up with. Lunch was spent, once again, with Eren and spent bothering the nurse who made the rounds to pick up the empty lunch trays. From then until three p.m., Levi was busy skyping with Hanji or the other’s on the L.S. Rogue. After that, he had another, shorter round of therapy, in which he gave the nurses hell. Then it was dinner with Eren to end his day.

It always made him sad that Eren had to leave at the end of the day. But rules were rules and the night shift nurses were crazy bitches that not even Levi dared to talk back too. So Eren had to go back to his hotel every night and come back every morning.

By the time the twelfth had rolled around, Levi was walking fairly well. Especially, for someone who was no longer using a cane and was only three weeks into the healing process. Of course, the only reason he was no longer using the cane was because it had been deemed as a deadly weapon so long as it was in his hands. And he may or may not have been denied access to it and all other walking aids that were not of the wall, rail, or human variety.

But that wasn’t important. What was important, though, was that Eren was leaving today.

The mood at breakfast was somber; Eren pushed his eggs around with his fork, while Levi just stared at his food. Neither of them spoke; Levi because he wasn’t sure he could find the words and Eren because he didn’t want to upset Levi. Eren leaving was going to be hard on them both, no matter how they looked at it.

So they left it as it was. There were no parting words, no tears shed; they were soldiers, pilots, steadfast stoics. So Eren gave him a quick peck on the lips and walked out the door, only looking back briefly before he disappeared from sight.

For the first time in years, Levi cried himself to sleep that night.


	24. Deep Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things move forward on the Rogue. Someone new is introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for a weird original character!

Eren arrived back on the L.S. Rogue just after mid-day on the thirteenth. Despite his sadness over having to leave Levi behind, he was happy that his husband was making good progress in recovering. His mood soon changed, though, because as he got off the helicopter that had flown him to the ship he noticed a familiar head of two-toned hair getting off another recently landed helicopter on the other end of the flight deck.

“Jean?!” He called out in question. Last time he’d been around Jean was still not talking and nowhere near being ready to go back into the field. Yet there he was, clearly back on the Rogue and turning to look at Eren with a hardened face. Eren took his bag that the co-pilot was handing his way and headed over to his horse faced comrade.

“What are you doing here? I thought you hadn’t been cleared?” Where the first things that spewed from his lips.

Jean just sort of hung his head. “Marco wouldn’t have wanted me to be that way. So I spoke up, and Doc Berner cleared me this morning. Said I passed my most recent psych eval with flying colors.”

“This mean you’ll be at the briefing in a couple of days for the final run down of the mission?”

“Yeah. Oh, Bert got cleared a couple days ago, too. So he might be flying with us.”

“That’s awesome, man. Glad to have you both back!” And Eren genuinely was. For all the time that he and Jean had spat it out since they’d met, neither of them truly would ever have wished harm upon the other. And having heard of the state that Jean and Bert had been in had made Eren worried beyond belief, but now that worry had been put to rest. “I’ll see you then, I suppose. I need to get this stuff back to my quarters and I’d like to get in a short nap after the flight. I’m beat.”

“I feel ya.” Eren began to walk away, but stopped when Jean called out. “Hey, Eren!”

“Yeah?”

“For the record, I’m glad Levi’s okay.” And he was walking away as though he hadn’t said a word. Eren stood in shock for a moment, but a small smile crept onto his face and then he was headed for his room once again.

**_____________________________**

Being in the briefing room after everything that had happened felt a bit odd. Hanji, Mike, and someone else, stood at the front of the room going over last minute changes to the mission plans. Not only was it strange that they were taking orders from someone besides Erwin, but it was strange to not have Levi’s presence among them. This would be their first mission truly knowing that he wouldn’t be there to back them up. It was more than a bit disconcerting.

Hanji finally turned to them. “Alright everyone. I know it’s been a trying few weeks, what with everything that has happened, but focus and preparation are key right now.” The Tech Sergeant seemed tired and likely was given all the things that they now had to shoulder. The work load couldn’t be pretty, even if it was being split three ways.

“As you all know, Chief Smith is still under a great deal of scrutiny. So in the mean time, myself, Mike, and,” She gestured to the gentlemen next to them, “Chief Master Sergeant Henry Jones here, will be your commanding officers. Please try to make this as easy on us as you can, as we are still working out the kinks in this odd, three-way split of power. But do not hesitate to come to any of us about anything.”

Chief Master Sergeant Jones stepped forward to speak when Hanji finished. “I know that none of you really know me and that this is perhaps the most awkward and unconventional way to be introduced, but I hope that you can all welcome me knowing that I will do my absolute best to make the right decisions with Tech Sergeant Zoe and Zacharius’s help and guidance, as they have far more experience with this squad and its workings than I do. So without further ado, let’s get you guys briefed and ready for tomorrow’s mission.”

“Tomorrow you’ll be attacking the solar powered generator plants in the Utgard region, code name Operation Blackout. They are equal in output to nuclear plants, and are responsible for about sixty percent of the SNC’s military industrial complex's power supply. Since they don’t run off of oil or uranium, cutting off supply lines will do no good.” Jones finished up.

Hanji added for him. “The success of this deep strike mission will not only cripple the SNC’s industrial output, but it will divert their attention from our invasion plans.” A map of the area was shown on the big screen. “The terrain is a bit rugged, so if you get low, watch out for the ravine and the small outcroppings around it. Flying that low shouldn’t be necessary, but take precautions just in case.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you to keep your coms on at all times.” Mike added in. “But with Ace not in the field, and Sky-Eye’s position being taken over by me, keep an eye out for each other where you can. I don’t see things the way Hanji does and none of you are Levi, despite what some of you might think.” He gave Mikasa and Eren a pointed look. “So take it easy and fly safe. If things get hairy, get out of there. Don’t let the importance of this mission sit higher that you own lives. Got that?”

“Yes sir.” The group said in unison.

“Dismissed then.” Jones nodded them out.

When they had all left the room, Henry let his shoulders sag and plopped down in one of the chairs. “I don’t remember signing up for this.” He groaned.

Mike gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder. “You did well though. Don’t let it bring you down. They’ll get used to you soon enough.”

“I’m pretty sure one of the girls was eyeing you up, too!” Hanji chirped, leaving the room as Henry’s face burned bright red. Mike shook his head and left laughing under his breath.

The poor fellow was left all alone with his embarrassment, but it was soon replaced with worry for tomorrow. He truly hoped everything went to plan.


	25. Operation Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First encounters with the Stonewall Turret Network.

**-Operation Blackout-**

**-Location: Utgard Region-**

**-Northwest Rose Territory-**

**-Dec.16.2015-**

**-1640hrs-**

**\- Clear-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy the enemy solar plant.-**

**_____________________________**

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky above or below the group of fighter jets as they made their way toward the power plant. The sun was setting behind them, as they had looped around wide so as not to be blinded by it upon their approach. Eren’s palms felt sweaty and his heart was racing, though.

He was usually so calm in the face of a missions start. But something about today had him on edge. Maybe it was simply that Levi wasn’t there? Or maybe it was intuition and gut feeling? He wasn’t sure, but it was driving him crazy.

He jumped when Mike’s voice came over the coms and he was grateful that Mikasa was flying point instead of him. “Use the solar panels as markers and proceed east to the power plant.” She would definitely be playing it cooler than he was at the moment.

As if she could feel his nerves, her voice came over the com shortly after. “Stay cool if they close in and don’t be hasty. Keep an eye on your radar and your guard up. We were trained for this. Let’s not forget that we were handpicked for this squad.”

“We got a couple of bogeys up ahead.” Eren was pretty sure it was Jean who had called it out. The young pilot had practically begged to go on this mission. Apparently he had made a convincing argument to Hanji though, because he had been allowed to fly with them and Krista had taken his place on standby alongside Bert, Reiner, and Sasha.

Meaning that he and Mikasa where flying into action with Ymir, Connie, and Jean. Everyone was on edge about it too. Knowing what they did about Jean’s condition as of just a week prior, there was a massive amount of skepticism on whether he was actually ready for this or not. But now was not the time; Eren had an enemy F-16 to worry about.

However, much to his relief and chagrin, Jean blew it up first. There were a few other enemy fighters in the area, but all were taken care of rather quickly. “Solar power generator plant. Eight miles.” Mike informed them.

Eren saw Ymir and Connie go low and take out the solar panels in the open space below them; a series of explosions lighting up the ground as the dropped bombs went off. Those panels needed to be taken down just as badly as the plant itself did. With all the panels out of the way, the main facility with the generators was all that was left.

Eren could see it up ahead. Large buildings set into inlaid circles in the ground, a terrible attempt at protecting the place. Mikasa took out the land-to-air missile systems, Jean headed for the radar towers, and Eren got ready to take out the control room and generator. Everything was going amazingly well.

But Eren had been right to feel strange about the mission.

The alarm went off over the com system and Mike’s voice came through clearer than ever. “Radar confirmed incoming from Stonewall. Drop below two thousand feet to avoid and head to base immediately.”

There was a jumble of cries from everyone after Mike cut off. Dropping below two thousand feet when the elevation of the ground itself was two thousand feet in the area was crazy!

“What do they expect us to do? Go underground!?” He heard Ymir scream.

Everyone was still panicking. Stonewall was no joke. A hit from even a shockwave off one of its shots was death for anything in the air above two thousand feet. They had been taught this in training, it was basic knowledge. But never before had they gone head to head with it. They’d never been far enough inland to be in range of the damned thing.

God, this was bad. Eren’s blood ran cold and his brain flew a million miles an hour. What the hell were they supposed to do?

No. That wasn’t right.

What would _Levi_ have had them do?

He chanced a glimpse over at his radar. It did have some partial purposes other than warning him of incoming missiles and air craft. The screen actually registered elevation changes if you were low enough and right now he was. The only thing he saw on his screen was the ravine.

There was his answer.

“The ravine.” He didn’t really register that he had said it aloud, but when he got confused noises form the others he completed his train of thought. “The ravine, head for the ravine! Use it to get low and stay low!”

Of course it would be Jean who protested. “Are you crazy!? It’s suicide to fly through that thing!” The ravine was coming up fast and they did not have time to argue about this.

“No, suicide is staying top side and letting Stonewall hit you! Now are you going to let that happen or are you going to prove you actually have some piloting skills and fly through the fucking ravine!”

Mike gave them an update at that exact moment. “Four rounds, ETA fifteen seconds.”

He could hear Jean’s frustrated screams as they all quickly sped for the ravine’s edge. Each and every single one of them dropped straight into it, leveling out and trying to avoid the sides of the jagged crevice that cut oddly through the land.

“Impact in five, four, three, two-” The loudest boom Eren had ever heard cut out the sound of Mike’s voice on the com. His ears rang as the sound faded and he could physically see the shock waves as they rolled over the top of the ravine above him. It was a heart stopping sight.

“What the hell?” He heard Connie squeak out when his hearing came back.

Mikasa was quick to speak up. “Stay focused; maintain control of your aircraft. Now is not the time to freak out.”

“Another wave detected.” Just great. “Ten seconds to impact.”

“Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!” Jean began to chant.

A second deafening boom rang out. He actually felt his jet shake from the sound waves as they bounced around through the ravine. The lights on his control panel flickered, too and he was afraid that something important had been jostled loose. But the flickering stopped and in time so did the loud booms of Stonewall.

The ravine began to close up, making it more difficult to fly in and so with confirmation from Mike that they were out of range of Stonewall’s hits, the special ops squad rose to well above two thousand feet as they headed back to base.

**_____________________________**

Hanji kept the debriefing short and simple; saying that if Stonewall wasn’t eliminated, victory would not be possible for Legion. They were quick to snatch up Mike and Henry, dragging them off to discuss possible ways to eliminate the dangerous facility on the far side of Sina territory.

The others were desperate to know what it had been like to encounter Stonewall. And upon hearing what those involved had to say, were absolutely awestruck.

“So you mean to tell me that Stonewall is that powerful from…how far is it from Utgard to Mitras?” Reiner asked.

“It’s, like, a couple thousand miles.” Sasha said with a mouthful of potato chips.

Reiner gawked. “Holy shit.”

“It was so loud. My ears are gonna ring like a bitch for weeks.”

“Ymir! Don’t talk like that.” Krista scolded.

“Well it’s true.”

While the others continued to tell of their experiences with Stonewall, Eren wandered off. He had a Skype call to make after all. He really wanted to talk to Levi about what had happened today.


	26. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes back to the Rogue.

**-December 24 th, 2015-**

**-L.S. Rogue-**

**-1320hrs-**

**_____________________________**

The helicopter hovered above the flight deck of the L.S. Rogue, slowly descending onto the designated area below it. The rotors whooshed loudly as they spun, creating a blast of wind that threatened to throw the people on deck into the water if they got to close to the edge. When it finally touched down, the rotors slowed to a stop and Levi exited the craft carefully.

He’d been released from the rehab center early, but he still had to take it easy for a few more weeks simply to make sure he didn’t strain himself. The wound had long ago healed up, leaving only a small, nearly unnoticeable scar in its wake. He took a deep breath of the salty air and let the corners of his lips tilt upward. It was good to be back.

A duffel bag was handed to him by the pilot. Levi gave a kind nod of his head and briskly walked off to head inside. He was dying to sleep in his own bed again and he really just wanted to be able to take a shower with his own soaps and maybe his husband in there to help him wash. Oh the possibilities that lay within that train of thought.

It had been too long.

He had expected to be greeted by his squad and by Hanji. He had not expected them to be putting on a welcome back party in the mess hall and to have invited the whole ship.

The moment he stepped through the doors he was assaulted by a wave of uncoordinated shouts of “Welcome back!” Hanji’s voice being the loudest and most prominent as always. And he should have been irritated, mad, upset, anything of that nature really, but he wasn’t. Because standing there in front of everyone else was his bright eyed brat with the stupidest, most God awful grin on his face.

Levi couldn’t find it in himself to be angered at all when he laid gaze upon Eren’s face. So he staid and allowed everyone to shake his hand and ask how he was; to welcome him back. He even ate part of the cake that they had all managed to bake for him. But when he had his fill of the social aspects of his return, he was quick to find Eren and drag him off to their room.

They most definitely had that shower Levi had been thinking about.

Finally clean and not smelling like generic hospital soap, Levi wrapped himself around his husband as they curled up in bed. The sheets had never felt so soft, smelled so good, seemed so enticing as they did in that moment. He did not realize just how much he had missed being in his own room, tangled in cotton sheets and lanky limbs until now.

He fell into the deepest, least fitful sleep he had experienced in years, with Eren holding him close.

Levi was up at the ass crack of dawn the next morning, cleaned, dressed, and ready to go about his day. He woke the squad up, much to their displeasure, and then the game was afoot.

He’d been gone too long, they had all slacked off. There was cleaning to be done and drills to take care of. The bathrooms needed scrubbed and the halls mopped. Door handles had to be polished and lockers cleaned out. The trash was all hauled to the incinerator. Jets where spit shined and waxed. Sheets turned out, clothing washed, and shoes shined.

By the day’s end everyone’s backs ached and their heads throbbed. Their fingers stung from overuse, but everything was spick and span. Just the way Levi liked it. Sitting down for dinner that night the squad thought it was all over…

Then Levi came busting through the doors and made a bee line for Hanji. He leaned over and got right in her face where she sat. In the most venomous tone any of them had ever heard him speak in, he hissed, “You forgot to order my tea.”

And then it all went to hell.

It was Armin who came in a short while later with the first aid kit to tend to Hanji’s wounds. It had taken everything Eren had and then some to pull the furious man off of them. As Armin came in, he dragged Levi out. The whole way he told him that the tea would get ordered, that it would be okay. He had gone so long without it; he could wait a few more days.

None of these things served to put Levi’s mind at ease or to calm his temper. Although the bath Eren drew up for him did help some and the cuddling afterward did as well. However that lead to foreplay somehow and well, as we can all guess, what happened next really allowed Levi to get over it very quickly.

And when the express order of tea arrived a few days later, it was as if nothing had happened. Everything fell back into routine, including preparations for a spurt of the moment mission.

Unbeknownst to all of them, the mission would be anything but routine.


	27. Dispatch #8543

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legion Board of Military Operations...bunch of old farts is more like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short, but wanted to give a taste of the other military groups that are involved on Legions side as well. Don't want to forget about them!

**_*Note: This document is official property of Legion HQ. If you are in possession of this document without the assigned clearance level you are subject to be court marshaled and receive a dishonorable discharge. If you are not a Legion soldier, you are punishable by imprisonment and subject to a trial in a Legion court. Possible charges may include, but are not limited to: treason, espionage, conspiracy, etc. If you turn this document in, claiming to have found it, you are still subject to extensive investigation by a Legion team._ **

**_____________________________**

**Dispatch # 8543**

**Classified: Level 4 Clearance or Higher**

**Dispatch sent to: Acting Co-Chiefs – Technical Sergeant Hanji Zoe; Technical Sergeant Michael Zacharius; Chief Master Sergeant Henry Jones**

**Date sent: December 30 th, 2015**

**Date received: December 30 th, 2015**

**Summary: The following document is a copy of the original dispatch received by Acting Co-Chief Hanji Zoe. It holds the plans for the December 31 st launch of a Legion satellite and the troubles they expect to face in attempting to launch. Also mentioned are the orders for the Legion Air Force to deploy to the launch site.**

**_____________________________**

**Dispatch Text:**

We know that at this time Legion’s air force is under serious duress with the events surrounding Chief Smith’s arrest and the confusion it has created amongst the ranks. However, we mustn’t let this delay our plans to progress to victory. That being said it is imperative that you understand our current situation.

In August of this year building began on a very important Legion satellite. This satellite, when launched, will allow Legion to obtain tactical data concerning the SNC. We believe this is our best step in creating a mainland offense and changing the course of the war.

The satellite was completed a few weeks ago, testing on its operation systems were completed two days ago, and the missile that will launch it into orbit arrived on base yesterday. Time is now of the essence. It is mandatory that this satellite is launched tomorrow, on the 31st, in order to begin gathering data on any upcoming SNC activities.

The launch is planned to take place at the Reiss Space Center, located on the Karanese Islands. The rocket base is located in the center of the large island.

We expect the SNC to respond rapidly with large numbers of air-superior fighters to prevent the launch. This is the primary reason we have reached out to you. We are sending orders that you deploy all your forces to the Karanese Islands, effective tomorrow at 1200 hours. The success of this launch is in you and your forces’ hands.

Do not disappoint us.

                                                                                    — Legion Board of Military Operations

                                                _Commander in Chief Darius Zackly_

_Sergeant Major of the Army Dot Pixis_

_Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Nile Dawk_

_Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Keith Shadis_

 


	28. Shattered Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A not so inspirational speech....and then an actually inspiring speech!

**_At some point I noticed my uncle, my supposed guardian, had disappeared._ **

**_Perhaps the secret police had drug him off for a drunken comment he had made; maybe he chose to leave._ **

**_I had no one to turn to, so I found myself living as though I was part of the Scarface squadron._ **

**_Everyone in town held the barkeep in contempt for doing business with the enemy. In reality, his family and he were involved with the resistance, gathering intelligence and other information from the enemy customers._ **

**_His daughter protected me, when I was found at night peeking through the door, but she only did it because of my young age._ **

**_The barkeep and his family were the true heroes, while I found a haven among the enemy._ **

**_____________________________**

Late in the afternoon, on December thirty-first, Henry called an emergency briefing into session. Eren knew this mission would be different when they were all asked to report not to the briefing room, but to the commons area mess hall.

The commons area mess hall was a huge area that was used by the other staff aboard the L.S. Rogue. It was big enough to host a small circus without the tents or to be used as a small plane bunker at an air field.

Upon arriving the special ops squad soon realized that it wasn’t just them being briefed. Every pilot that the Rogue housed was seated in the room, eyes trained on Hanji, Henry, and Mike were they stood toward the front. The members of the Freedom squad all stayed together along the far wall, waiting for the briefing to begin by conversing about what sort of operation could possibly need so many pilots to be briefed for.

“Good evening everyone!” Henry’s voice boomed. “It is unfortunate that we have had to inconvenience you on this lovely evening, but unfortunately, we have no choice.

Hanji stepped forward, standing next to him. “As you all know, all branches of Legion are subject to the orders of the Military Operations Board. Unfortunately, with the arrest of Chief Smith, our division no longer holds a seat on the Board until he is either placed back in his position or a new Chief is appointed, so we have no say in what orders are sent our way.”

“This means,” Mike spoke now, “That anything they order us to do, we have no choice but to answer to those orders.”

Henry took over once more. “Early today, we received a dispatch from the Board; all members, minus one, had signed it personally. In this dispatch, where the plans for a recon satellite to be launched via missile, from the Reiss Space Center on the Karanese Islands. They are expecting the SNC to respond to this launch quickly and on a large scale.”

“The only way they see us winning,” Hanji piped up, “Is if we can maintain air superiority for the duration of the launch and they only have one window of opportunity, one chance for success in getting the satellite into orbit. That window is tomorrow afternoon.”

Groans of protest came from many of the pilots. Some cursing under their breath and others yelling out in frustration, demanding that the Board be contacted and told that this was too short a notice for such actions. The Freedom squad remained silent though.

Mike stepped forward. “We know this is short notice and it is understandable that you all have misgivings about an operation of this size. After all, most of you haven’t seen any action in months. That being said, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t required to participate. You signed up for this when you joined. Maybe a few of you were drafted, but even then, you should have known what to expect when you chose to go into the air force over one of the other divisions.”

“Think of this as your opportunity to be a part of turning the tides of this war.” Henry offered up. “A chance to make your mark, to earn your medal of honor. For all you know this could be the biggest, best known operation to take place in this war. It could be your chance to go down in history!”

Hanji was quick to step in from there. “For perhaps not all of you, but for many of you, when you arrived you were asked one question: Are you willing to offer up your heart, your life, for the wronged of humanity? I was asked the same question once.”

“So I stand before you today and ask you that same question: Are you still willing to offer up your heart, your life, for the wronged of humanity? Are you going to fight for the people of Maria, who have been _run_ from their homes, who have had their lives and loved ones _destroyed_ by bombs built in Sina? Will you fight for the people of Rose, whose homes have been _burned_ , whose fields have been _tainted_ with radiation, and whose _children_ have been forcefully recruited?”

“Or will you _sit here and grumble_ like bastards? Will you not stand and fight like you have been trained to do? Will you forsake the promise you made when you where recruited to or joined this division of Legion? Are you willing to one day, as you walk to the _executioners_ _block_ , escorted by the hands of a Sina soldier, to look into the eyes of a Rose or Maria citizen who is being forced to watch and say to their face, that on the day the war could have changed in their favor, you sat on your _ass_ and pouted like a _petulant, ungrateful brat_ and then proceeded to not give your all when you flew out under orders the next day?”

“Would you rather do that? Or perhaps you would rather face whatever god or higher power you believe in when you are killed in action tomorrow and explain to _them_ why you chose not to truly fight for those who couldn’t? Maybe you would like to look into the faces of those who have already _died_ for this cause and explain it to them!?”

“But I will tell you right now, that if I hear another person grumble or groan about fighting this war, I will personally come over and escort you to the edge of the ship, where I will proceed to weigh your feet down with the wheel chocks from _your_ jet and as unceremoniously as possible, throw your _ass_ overboard!”

The room was silent when they finished, save for the sound of their heavy breathing. No one spoke for quite some time.

Finally Mike broke the silence. “Everyone is to be up by oh-six-hundred hours and prepping for takeoff at eleven-hundred-thirty hours. Get what rest you can tonight. Tomorrow will likely be the biggest dog fight of you military career. Understood?”

Everyone snapped to attention as they collectively answered with strong voices.

“Dismissed then.”

Tomorrow the skies would shatter. Hanji was sure of it.


	29. Operation Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up.

**-Operation Countdown-**

**-Location: Karanese Islands-**

**-Southern Rose Territory: Coastal Region-**

**-Dec.31.2015-**

**-1335hrs-**

**\- Partly Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy enemy forces and aid in securing airspace above the Reiss Space Center launch site.-**

**_____________________________**

The L.S. Rogue had entered the airspace near the Karanese Island chain sometime late in the night. Now every jet on the flight deck was being cleared for takeoff. One by one, they each pulled onto the run strip and awaited clearance to go. Each jet took off a mere forty seconds after the last had achieved liftoff.

The freedom squad would be taking off last, meaning they would be the last ones to enter the fray. Everyone was jumpy, but Eren was glad that even though Levi wouldn’t be flying with them, he had been granted permission by Hanji to sit aboard the warning plane with them and be part of the mission, even if it was strictly in a mentor-like capacity. Levi would be on the coms system, watching the action on radar screens and since there were so many jets in the sky, he would be an extra set of eyes in trying to keep up with what was taking place.

Armin’s voice crackled over the com system, letting Eren know he was clear to enter the runway. He maneuvered his jet into position and waited. When Armin said he was clear, he boosted his engines, the jets coming to life in a fiery blast and soon he was shooting forward at an incredible speed. He pulled up as he neared the runways end, the jet lifting into the air. He quickly pulled his landing gear in and off he went, heading toward the massive blob on his radar that was just above the main island.

The rest of the Freedom squad was close behind him. They had no choice but to spread out amongst the varying enemy aircraft that threatened the success of this operation. It was every pilot for themselves.

“Attention all aircraft,” the com crackled to life, “this is Karanese Base. This rocket launch is vital. Maintain air superiority until launch is complete.”

The com was alive with voices, each one saying something different. But only one thing that came through was important to Eren right now. “Tally ho on a Scarface Squadron formation.” The Scarface Squadron had been scrambled for this.

Of course they had. It would have been stupid not have figured that they would be sent in. It was worrisome, however, because Levi was the only one from the Rogue, still among the living, who had ever shot down anyone from the Scarface crew. Last time the new special ops squad had encountered them, they had been forced to retreat, and had lost members in the process.

“Attention all personnel, complete final launch sequence checks immediately!”

There were so many aircraft though. Eren and the others couldn’t afford to stay locked on to just one at a time. They had to pursue whatever was closest and easiest to lock onto. Right now, for Eren that was the KC-10 he was firing at. Then it was the EC-767 and an F/R-16. Each went down quickly. The best course of action right now was to avoid being shot by the Scarface pilots and to avoid engaging them.

Unfortunately, just as the Scarface squad was easy to identify by the yellow stripe on the rear of the jet, so was the Freedom squad with the blue stripe on their own jets. Eren found himself tangoing with death as one of those yellow striped jets locked onto him and insisted on pursuing just him. He had no choice but to give up on the jet he had been chasing and do what he could to get this one off his ass.

Hard twists and turned where copied almost to a tee, but if there was one thing Eren was good at, that most other pilots weren’t, it was pulling out of nose dives. So that’s what he did. He pointed his nose to the ground and dove. The ground came up before him fast and he was quick to pull up, air braking as he went and then quickly taking a hard right. The missiles that the Scarface pilot had fired hit the ground instead of him and the pilot had no choice but to turn a different direction to escape collision.

Eren rejoined the fight above, focusing on any enemy craft that wasn’t yellow. A short time later, Levi’s voice met his ears. “Ace here. Bee-Two bombers approaching from the west. Intercept them before they reach the launch site.”

“I don’t see anything on radar though.” Someone else commented.

It was hard to believe that Levi would be wrong. “This is P-E. I’m on it.”

“Five minutes to launch.” The base below announced. Five minutes was a lifetime away. The cloud cover thickened the further west he headed, making his radar work a bit strangely. But sure enough, about five miles out, were six B2 bombers all headed for the launch site. He passed over them, so that he could come up behind them. Each was quickly taken out in less than a minute. With the bombers no longer a threat he raced off in the direction of the action once more.

Once again he became entangled with trying to get away from one of the Scarface pilots.

“Two minutes to launch.” So close, so close!

The number of enemy fighters was actually beginning to significantly decrease. And Eren knew it was over when he saw the Scarface squadron group together and disappear into the distance.

“Final launch checks complete. Launch in sixty seconds.” There were still a few stragglers though, but they were going down fast.

“Thirty seconds to launch.”

The satellite was going up and there was nothing that the enemy could do about it. Eren watched as the remaining enemy pilots turned tail and ran, disappearing on the horizon.

“Fifteen seconds to launch. All Legion aircraft and vehicles flow to safe area.”

This was it!

“Ten.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

“Six.”

“Start ignition!”

Eren watched as the missile below rumbled to life, smoke and flames billowing from beneath it.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

“Ignition.”

The missile began to lift, more smoke poured form under it as it shook. Finally it shot forth from its stand, smoke trailing behind it. Cheers went out over the com system as his fellow pilots celebrated.

“All systems in the green.”

More cheers rose up and several aircraft could be seen flipping through the air.

“Rocket has reached forty thousand feet. It is now immune to enemy action. Thanks to you all for a successful launch.” The cheers of the staff could be heard through the com system now.

Eren’s face lit up in a grin as he headed back to the Rogue. Another mission accomplished.

**_____________________________**

It took some time for everyone to land. Getting all of those jets back on board was a bit of a daunting task and Eren could hear the frustration and exhaustion in Armin’s voice as they walked together to be debriefed.

“We should get together soon and just relax.” Eren offered up. “You seem like you could use it.”

Armin groaned. “I wish I could, but with the current situation involving the separation of powers since Erwin’s arrest, I’ve had to take on many of Hanji’s duties because she had to take on part of Erwin’s. It’s a big confusing mess and it’s sort of all hands on deck for the paperwork to get done.”

Eren felt for his friend, he really did. They said their farewells as they entered the mess hall to be debriefed; Armin heading over to be with the rest of his division’s members and Eren to his. When everyone was settled Henry spoke.

“Thanks to our efforts, the launch went smoothly and all systems are go. As we speak, vital tactical data is being sent out to all of Legion’s troops.”

A few more words were spoken and then everyone was dismissed. The first thing Eren did was flop out on his bed, not bothering with a shower until Levi came and drug him to it. They both fell into a deep sleep after that.


	30. Court-Martial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin's trial begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently some part of my subconscious thought I should try my hand at courtroom dramas. Thus the next few chapters unfolded.

The halls of the Rogue stood still on the morning of January second. After the last mission everyone had gathered not only to celebrate their victory, but to welcome in the New Year. With nothing major going on the celebrations had lasted well into the next day, leaving the members aboard the ship quite incapacitated on this particular morning. If someone had been up and about, listening closely would have allowed them to hear the quiet snores and groans coming from the rooms.

However, there were certain personnel members on board who were required to continue working despite celebratory conditions. And so it happened that at 0951 hours, on the morning of the second of January, that a very important message reached the young woman sitting in the communications office; she quickly printed out a copy of the message and made a fast trek toward Hanji’s quarters.

Hanji was none too happy to be awakened from their hungover nap by someone beating at the door, but the instant that the young woman explained the content of the message to them their eyes lit up and mood lifted. They thanked the young woman, sending her on her way, and made a beeline for Levi and Eren’s room. Neither of them appreciated being awoken either, but the paper that was shoved into Levi’s face changed their minds.

They had a trial to go to.

**_____________________________**

**-January 10 th, 2016-**

**-Legion Courtroom-**

**-1100hrs-**

**_____________________________**

The large room was silent despite the number of people crowded in it. Hanji, Mike, Henry, Levi, and the special ops squad all sat on benches to the left of the judge’s stand. On the right side sat members of the other military divisions, most likely all people who knew Erwin in some capacity at some point in time. Included among them where Nile, Pixis, and Keith, the heads of those other divisions.

The jury was comprised of a series of men, all in uniform for other divisions of Legion’s military. Levi knew that all of the people serving on a jury in this kind of court had to be lawyers in the service and that they were all higher ranking officers. It was one of the requirements in a court like this.

They watched as Erwin was escorted in, hands cuffed in front of him, neatly shaved, well decked out in uniform, and besides the tired look in his eyes, looking as he always did, spick and span and ready to take charge.

“All rise. The Legion court is now in session, the Honorable Commander Darius Zackly presiding.” Everyone stood; a sign of respect for the man who took the stand.

Darius Zackly was an average height, plump man about the age of sixty-five. He was now the Commander in Chief, presiding over all military divisions and filled the position as President to the Legion Board of Military Operations. It was this man who had the final say on whether a mission could take place. And now it would be this man, who with the opinions of the jury to his right, would choose what Erwin’s fate would be.

The officer acting as bailiff stepped forward, handing several documents to Zackly. “Today’s case is Legion versus Smith.”

“Is the prosecution and defense ready?”

“Yes, your Honor.”

“Then I would like to make sure that the jury understands that their final decision, once it is made, is not the final outcome of this case. This is a military court; the rules of such differ greatly from that of a civil court. Do you all understand this?”

“Yes, you Honor.” They said together.

“Very well then. Let us proceed. Prosecution, the floor is yours.”

“Thank you, your Honor.” A despicable looking man rose up, his black hair slicked with far too much grease and his eyes beady balls of sleaze. He stepped out to pace the floor. “Your Honor, members of the jury, my name is Daniel Griggs. I intend to prove to you today, that this man,” He pointed to Erwin, “is no longer fit to act in his position as Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. It is a fact, that Erwin Smith has a track record of misdemeanors that have all been covered up. It is a fact that Erwin Smith was and is an alcoholic. It is a fact that Erwin Smith has purposefully endangered the lives of his subordinates.

“Now imagine, if you will, being one of those subordinates. Imagine having him tell you to go on a dangerous mission that you are not skilled enough to go on. Or, better yet, imagine being a subordinate who has a spouse in the service with you, who is also a subordinate or the defendant, and having to listen to him tell you that he will send said spouse to their death knowingly, if you don’t follow his orders.

“Wouldn’t be very pleasant, would it?” Paused for a moment to let all of that sink in. “Let’s keep imagining for a moment. You are still that subordinate, you’ve just been told that your spouse is at risk. How else would you react, other than badly? But to be stabbed by your own commanding officer? Now that is the true crime. The defendant assaulted, attempted to murder, a subordinate officer in the confines of his own office.

“Now tell me, how can we allow such a man to remain in charge of the good people who have chosen to risk their lives for the betterment of all of our futures? How can we willingly let this man continue to be in charge when we know that he will, if he sees the motive, purposefully kill mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughter, friends and comrades? How can we let him do that?

“I intend to prove to you, with evidence and testimony, that this man is guilty. I will leave no room for doubt in your minds. So I ask you, simply this: Find the defendant, find Erwin Smith, guilty. That is all, your Honor.”

“And the defense?”

“Your Honor, members of the jury, I stand before you today as the only line of defense for a man who has traded in his humanity to save this world. My name is Harold Brownstone.” He was tall, not quite Erwin tall, but still quite large. He held himself well, shoulders back and head high. He didn’t look a day over thirty. “I have chosen not to prove to you that Erwin Smith is an innocent man, but instead to prove to you, that given the current circumstances Erwin Smith is the man we need. Yes, he has done wrong. Yes, he has said things and done things that are out of line. But when you put it into context, when you really look at the whole picture, it’s easier to see that he was pushing for the same goal as the rest of us right now.

“Erwin Smith is a soldier. We are all soldiers; therefore we all understand that right now, we are at war. This is a fight, a battle, and not just some preschool level skirmish. This isn’t just a friendship we are risking. There are lives, thousands of them at stake in this. And this man,” He pointed a thick finger at Erwin, “this man right here, has been trying to make sure that those lives are saved. Has he knowingly sent people into dangerous circumstances, under which they died? He most certainly has.

“He’s the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. It’s his job to send people into dangerous situations that might cost them their lives. Sergeant Major Pixis does it; Sergeant Major Dawk does it; Master Chief Shadis does it as well; our very own Commander Zackly does it, too. If he is doing his job, how can we criticize him for it? Does he deserve to be tried for going above and beyond what his job description asks of him? I don’t know if that’s a question I can answer, but let’s put it this way: how would you feel if you were being put on trial for doing your job?

“And then you have, as Mr. Griggs has put it, the assault and attempted murder on a subordinate officer. Let’s look at the facts shall we? Captain Levi Ackerman, renowned pilot, war hero, and leader of the Wings of Freedom squadron for the Legion air force, was stabbed in the abdomen on November twenty-third of last year. He went on to make a full recovery and has never once pressed charges against or shown any ill-will toward Chief Smith. He holds him in no low standing, still thinks of him as a dear friend, though one in need of extensive help and outreach.

“So if Captain Ackerman sees no crime and the only other thing to charge Chief Smith with is having done his job, then why are we having a trial? What is the purpose of this whole affair? I will present to you today evidence and testimony to prove that Erwin Smith is in fact not innocent, at all of the crimes for which he is being charged with, but instead that the crimes he is being charged with are in fact not crimes at all. I urge you, officers of the jury, Honorable Commander Zackly, to see the truth of these matters and find the defendant, not guilty. That is all.”

Through all of this they had sat quietly, twitching ever so slightly when Griggs had spoken about Erwin so harshly. The prosecution then began to present their evidence. Documents dating back to even before Erwin was put into the position of Chief were presented, trying to prove that Erwin had been killing off Legion pilots even when he served as one full time. It was disgusting to watch.

Brownstone stood his ground when he took the floor, though. Dates, names, letters; he showed the jury and Zackly that throughout the course of Erwin’s career he had done nothing but try to uphold the best of humanity’s values. He had never done less than asked of him, but always more. He had received countless letters from people expressing their gratitude, from families thanking him for his kind words and help in the loss of a loved one. He made sure every stone was checked under and that every nook and cranny of Erwin’s career and life was laid bare before the people who sat there judging him. He left no room for doubt of anything but innocence.

But the testimonies were still to come and with as late as it was getting, it was unlikely that the case would be over in one day. Zackly pounded his gavel down to gain the attention of the courtroom when the defense was done presenting. “Given the current hour, the court will adjourn. We will go back into session tomorrow morning at ten hundred hours. Court adjourned.”

Everyone filed out into the hallway as Erwin was escorted back to his cell. Henry was the first to speak. “I should be getting back to the Rogue, as should most of the rest of you.”

Hanji, Mike, and Levi all had to remain as they would be testifying the next day. “I’d like to stay behind sir, if I might.” Eren asked.

Henry looked over all of them; none of the other squad members seemed to have any plan of sticking around. “Very well. I’ll allow it. I would imagine Levi could use the support.”

With that, they all parted ways. Once back at the hotel Levi was glad just to rest. He knew that tomorrow would be a long day.


	31. Unreliable Witness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember Erwin's Aunt Evelyn? Well the bitch is back.

**-January 11 th, 2016-**

**-Legion Courtroom-**

**-1000hrs-**

**_____________________________**

Zackly called the court to order, his gavel pounding away at the wooden block upon the judge’s stand. Things would move quickly from there. People were called upon to testify. Some of them were men who had fought alongside Erwin in his cadet days, some where people who had overseen paperwork and dispatches. The prosecution had delved far into the life of Smith.

But nothing could have scared the large blonde more than when a familiar face took that stand. Erwin had not seen her in ages. Had thought that surely she was dead after the town had been bombed, but he should have known better. Evelyn Smith was a snake and just because you cut off her head didn’t mean she wouldn’t grow it back.

And there she sat, being sworn in, upon the stand. Her hair had gone from the awful grey it had once been to a more pronounced white. He wrinkles now had wrinkles and despite the bend of her spine she still seemed to stand as straight and tall as she always had. What lies, he couldn’t help but wonder, would she spew forth about him now?

“Mrs. Smith,” Griggs began, “Why don’t you tell us a bit about how you know the defendant?”

She shifted a bit in her seat. “I’d be happy too, Mr. Griggs.” Such a sickeningly sweet tone she used. “You see, Erwin there is my nephew. My brother, may his soul rest in peace, went off to fight in the war when his son was but a small boy. I was tasked with watching after him, as the rest of the family had long since passed and the dear boy was motherless after all.”

Erwin’s jaw clenched as he listened to her words. “He was a troublesome lad even then. He could never stay out of trouble. Always comin’ home with bruises and scrapes. But I tell you…I never thought I’d see a child be so…cruel.”

She paused here, seeming to be lost in the horror of her memories. “Take your time, Mrs. Smith. But please, as hard as it might be to tell us, we need to know.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just…it was so horrible. There was a young boy, about Erwin’s age. And now, don’t get me wrong, the child was also a bit of a trouble maker himself. Him and Erwin was always gettin’ into fights. But there was this one time that he got Erwin real good, ya see. Left a nice little scar right on his left temple, there. Well I cleaned Erwin up that evening. Bandaged him up real good.”

“But later, I heard Erwin saying that he was gonna get even with the boy. I never thought nothing of it, figured they’d go at it again the next day or somethin’. But a couple days later, that boy went missin’. Oh his mother was a cryin’ and his father was raging somethin’ fierce. They offered a reward for the boy’s return, but days turned into weeks and nobody ever saw the boy again.”

“It was after a couple months went by, Erwin had done run off to go join the military. Hadn’t left no note or nothin’. But I figured he needed to see for himself that the world wasn’t no place for a boy his age, so I didn’t go looking, figured he’d come back in time. But I was cleaning up his stuff that he’d left behind. That’s when I found them. Under his bed, in a sack, tucked way on back against the wall. There was this bloody set a clothes in there. They were too small to be Erwin’s. I’m might awfully sure that Erwin musta killed that boy. That’s why none of us found him.”

She had begun to cry by the end of it. The bitch, Erwin thought. How could she tell such lies? He wanted to jump forth from his seat and yell at her, scream till he was blue in the face. But it would do no good. The damage was done, Erwin could only hope that his own lawyer, Brownstone, could show the jury what a weasel of a woman Evelyn Smith really was.

And bring out the truth he did. Brownstone’s first real question had nearly the whole room in shock. “Mrs. Smith, can I call you Evelyn?”

“Of course.” She responded in that same sickeningly sweet tone.

“Evelyn, is it not true that in July of 1957 you where charged with neglect of a minor and child abuse regarding your own son, which resulted in the court taking the boy from your custody and you being charged with a hefty fine and confined to two years in a public prison?”

“How dare you!”

“Objection, your Honor. Mrs. Smith is not the one on trial here. Her past record has nothing to do with Mr. Smith’s current case.”

“What does this have to do with the case, Mr. Brownstone?” Zackly asked.

“Goes to prove how credible the witness is, your Honor.”

“I’ll allow it. Proceed. Please answer the question.”

Evelyn gawked, her head whipping around as she laid eyes upon those around her. “Never in all my years…”

“Answer the question, Mrs. Smith.”

“I was wrongly charged.” She held her head high, almost defiantly. “My son was at that age where he was constantly troublesome. I gave him a good whipping for being so unruly and sent him to bed without dinner. It’s what you have to do with them when they don’t listen. You have to show them who’s in charge.”

“I would like to submit into evidence this picture, taken as evidence for the court in 1957, of Mrs. Smith’s son. As you can clearly see, the young boy appears to have been starved and has large scars across his back, posterior, and upper thighs.” The picture made its way through the jury members and then to the judge before being placed alongside the other evidence on a table. “Mrs. Smith, how old was your son at the time of this picture?”

“Well, I mean, it was so long ago…”

“How old was your son, mam?”

…

“Would you mind telling the jury how you could treat a four year old boy like that?”

…

“Very well then. Do you mind explaining to everyone why it is, that according to this bank statement, after your release from prison you wrote a check to the district attorney’s office and shortly thereafter almost every record of your case disappeared? Can you tell us that since you had committed such an atrocious act once, why we shouldn’t question that you treated the then young Erwin Smith in the same way? Did you or did you not mistreat, abuse, and neglect Erwin Smith when he was in your care all those years ago?”

…

…

“I think her silence is answer enough, your Honor. I have no more questions for this witness.”

 


	32. Testify

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's testimony and the conclusion to Erwin's trial.

**-January 11 th, 2016-**

**-Legion Courtroom-**

**-1300hrs-**

**_____________________________**

The court took a brief recess for lunch, but Levi had not been able to eat a bite. His stomach was in knots. In just moments he would have to take the stand under oath and be questioned by that asshole Griggs. And it wasn’t just Levi’s reputation on the line; it was Erwin’s whole livelihood at stake. Levi knew how lawyers worked, especially the prosecution side of things.

His words would be twisted, his explanations cut off. Their entire existence was to be crafty, little buggers and make the accused’s life hell. They thrived in the woodwork of a person’s life when a case came up like termites, but they were scary like cockroaches. Levi hated cockroaches.

Eren gave his hand a small squeeze when the court was called back into session. He wasn’t ready for this. He was so incredibly not ready.

**_____________________________**

“The prosecution would now like to call Senior Master Sergeant Levi Ackerman to the stand.”

Walking those twenty feet to the witness stand felt like miles. And when he sat down after being put under oath he was able to take in just how many pairs of eyes were on him. Being put under scrutiny was not something most people enjoyed. Granted he wasn’t under the type of scrutiny that Erwin had been under since the incident, but it was still greatly unnerving. He had a strange feeling that the questions asked would likely try to pry into his past as well. And now came the worst part: Griggs.

“Master Sergeant Ackerman, would you please explain to the court your relationship with the accused?”

“He’s my superior officer, the equivalent of a boss for any other job. I’ve known him since I joined Legion and have come to view him as friend and trust worthy individual.”

“Could you tell us what happened on the morning of November twenty-third?”

“My squad and I were in the briefing room, awaiting the arrival of Technical Sergeant Zoe and Chief Smith. The two were arguing in the hallway. I don’t believe they realized we could hear them. Zoe threatened to apply for discharge if Smith made us fly that day. We had lost two comrades only a few days before and Zoe was worried that we weren’t as fit for duty as the shrink said we were.”

“He ended up sending three of my squad in for further therapy, a decision that I would have made had he not. He briefed us and took off. I found this odd and had wanted to bring up some of his other odd behaviors in a private discussion with him anyway, so I went after him. I found him drinking whiskey in his office; I had been there for his previous issues with alcohol, had helped him bounce back from the bad habit then. I called him out on it. He said some harsh things and we both overreacted. Last thing I remember clearly is an intense pain blooming in my abdomen. Then I woke up in a hospital.”

“Please elaborate on what was said?”

“He basically told me I had no right to question his choices; that he was in charge therefore he could send my husband out to die and order me to watch.”

“So would you say he was abusing his power?”

“No.”

Griggs froze. Levi was putting a kink in his case. “No? Care to explain that?”

“He didn’t act on it and he never would have. He was under the influence. Alcohol causes people to say irrational and stupid things. Sure his words made me angry in the moment, and like I said, I overreacted just as much as he did, but to have taken those words at face value while he was obviously inebriated to any degree would make me an idiot. And I am not, by any means, Mr. Griggs, an idiot.”

Brownstone gave a silent chuckle and Griggs began to seethe. “Your Honor, I would like to ask your permission to ask a series of questions that will determine the reliability of the witness.”

Zackly’s brows furrowed. “If you can explain to me why Master Sergeant Ackerman is in any way unreliable and it _not_ sound like you’re fishing for something, I might consider it.”

Griggs approached the bench and began to speak silently to Zackly. Levi watched their lips move. This was what he was afraid of. Griggs was in the process of trying to get Zackly to agree to a line of questioning about his past. Unfortunately, Levi could see the thoughtful look on Zackly’s face. Griggs stepped back, eyes drifting to Levi with a dangerous glint in them.

Giving Levi a look that screamed _forgive me_ , Zackly said, “I’ll allow it.”

Griggs put on the nastiest smile Levi had seen from anyone in a while. “Master Sergeant Ackerman, isn’t it true that when you joined Legion you had already been trained as an air force pilot?”

He hesitated to answer, glancing toward Erwin and then Eren before speaking. “Yes, that would be true.”

“And how is it that you came into your prior training?”

Levi gave him a blank stare. “I joined the air force elsewhere.”

“If you could be a bit more specific Master Sergeant Ackerman, I believe that would help the court come to a better conclusion.”

“I can’t be any more specific than that.” Levi had always kept quiet about things for more than just personal reasons.

“And why would that be? You are under oath, Master Sergeant Ackerman.”

Levi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, though his face betrayed nothing. There were hushed whispers from the few people who sat in the rows of seats before him. He knew that his loyalty was being questioned by each and every one of them. Things could go downhill very quickly if this wasn’t played right.

“Please answer the question, Master Sergeant Ackerman.”

Levi held Griggs’ gaze as he spoke lowly. “I _cannot_ answer that.”

“I don’t believe I heard you correctly. Did you say that you cannot answer the question? You do realize, Master Sergeant that this is a court hearing and you are under oath? There are consequences to not answering questions.”

The glare Levi sent his way could have cut steel. “Of course I understand that. But there are some things best left unanswered.”

“So you would compromise this trial simply because you don’t wish to speak of the past?”

“I would keep my mouth shut so that the lives of _everyone in this room are not put into jeopardy_!”

A hush fell over the room; no one moved, they barely even breathed. “Is that a threat?” Griggs’ question pierced the silence and everyone waited for Levi’s answer with bated breath.

“No, it’s not.” He stood from the seat, walking down the few stairs to hit the main floor. He stood directly in front of Griggs and despite the fact that Levi was a good head or so shorter than him, Griggs felt two feet tall. “It’s a God damn warning.”

“You bring up my past again, I don’t care when or where or why, and you will regret it with every fiber of your being.” He turned to address everyone else now. “My past,” He pointed to his chest, “has nothing to do with this man.” A finger was flung in Erwin’s direction. “Make your judgments based off his life and the decisions he has made, be they good or bad. He’s the one on trial, not me!”

The sound of his footsteps echoed through the room as he marched back over to take a seat next to Eren. Everyone remained silent for a moment before Griggs spoke up once more. “Well I do believe that what we just heard is proof enough that Master Sergeant Ackerman cannot be trusted. I move that that anything he has said involving this case be -”

“Would you shut the hell up?” Zackly shouted at Griggs. “I’ve had about all I can take of you and your pompous-ass-self. This whole trial has turned into a fiasco. It’s a mess and I should have stopped it sooner. You, Mr. Griggs, need to leave my courtroom and take your ridiculous notions about Legion and its personnel with you. And you, Master Sergeant Ackerman.”

“I should hold you in contempt of court for the little stunt you just pulled, but I won’t for two reasons. One, watching Griggs’ face was funny as hell, and two, someone needed to say it. As for the ruling of this trial, I believe, after having spoken with the jury during the recess, that I am safe in saying that we find the defendant, Erwin Smith, guilty of assault and negligent behavior.”

“His sentence will consist of three more days in a cell and then he will be returned to his position under strict probation; all decisions and plans of action will need to be approved by Tech. Sergeant Zoe and Chief Master Sergeant Henry Jones.”

“Case dismissed. Get the hell out of my courtroom, the whole lot of you!”


	33. Amphibious Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin is back and the trial might have drudged up some unwanted memories for Levi.

**_“It won’t be long now; it won’t be long ‘til it begins.” The barkeep’s daughter confided in me._ **

**_As a member of the resistance, she eagerly awaited the Legion counter-offensive on the mainland._ **

**_“What will happen to these people when Legion comes?” I asked, to which she frowned._ **

**_“We’ll run them out…This is our town!” But I knew she didn’t mean that from the bottom of her heart. Thirteen had captured her heart. I knew this from the way she shot envious glances at his wingman._ **

**_As other pilots rotated out of the Scarface Squadron, Yellow Four, Thirteen’s wingman, always stuck by his side, even on land. The only important female pilot in the squad, she had Yellow Thirteen’s unconditional trust as his wingman._ **

**_Thirteen seemed unmindful to all this, and instead reviewed the ‘promising’ enemy pilot’s performance from the day before’s skirmish. “He’s so close. If he manages to stay alive for just a while longer, that pilot could be a worthy adversary.”_ **

**_But when there were no such enemies to look forward to, Thirteen’s eyes were sad._ **

**_____________________________**

The air was stuffy and his chest hurt from trying to hold in his breath. Everything was dark so long as he kept his eyes squeezed tight shut. But when he let them peek open he could see everything through the small crack between the cabinet doors. Mommy had told him to be quiet and stay put no matter what he heard. And right now there was plenty to hear.

“I told you I don’t’ have a son, damn it!” Mommy yelled at the men in the doorway.

The tall one scoffed. “What do ya take me fer, Kutchel? An idiot? I knows the boy be off in there somewheres. So just let us on in now and this here’ll be so much easier.”

There was the sound of heavy footsteps and something crashed to the ground. “Get out of my house! You bastards! The lot of you! Get out!”

“Now look what you gone and done. Kutchel, I mean to tell you woman. We’s only here under orders. Ain’t no reason to be hurtin’ us. You can understand that.”

“You can’t have my son!” Someone groaned in pain and there was a high pitched squeal followed by a thud. “Damn it. Look what you done made me do.”

“Tell Kenny that if he wants the boy he needs to take it up with me himself. That way I can bite off his head myself! NOW GET OUT!” Something else crashed against the wall. Boots scuffled across the floor.

“We’s a getting’! We’s a gettin’!” The front door slammed shut. Kutchel sighed as she slumped to the floor in tears. She cradled her left arm to her chest, trying to stop the blood that flowed from the gash there. When she had composed herself she scooted over toward the kitchen cabinets.

“Levi? Levi baby, you can come out now. They’re gone.” One of the small doors pushed open to reveal wide grey eyes on a small, scared face. “Oh, my baby. Come here.” She reached out for him and he reached for her. That’s when the door slammed back open.

**_____________________________**

Levi’s eyes flew open, his body jerking into an upright position. He gasped in a much needed breath of air and slowly began to come back to reality. Eren was nowhere to be seen. He was likely already getting breakfast, Levi concluded upon looking at the clock. He shook the remnants of his dream-memory from his head and pulled himself from the bed for a quick shower. The walk to the mess hall felt long and sluggish. And upon arriving he was graced with an unexpected sight.

No one was there.

However, there was a lovely note left on the table signed by Eren himself.

It read:

_Hey Levi,_

_Sorry I didn’t wake you, but I know you haven’t been sleeping well since the trial. I didn’t want to disturb you. We’re all in the briefing room. Don’t worry we’ll wait for you! Take your time and see you there._

_Love you, Eren._

Of course now he felt the need to rush, so he did. Everyone in the briefing room seemed relaxed. They were all engaged in casual conversation, completely ignoring the elephant in the room.

“Nice of you to join us, Levi.” Erwin’s voice boomed from the front of the room. “Let’s get started then.”

“I would like to start by apologizing to all of you. Some of you deserve a larger apology than others and while I understand that nothing I say can change what has been done, I can only hope that you can find it in yourselves to forgive and trust me once more. I am truly ashamed of my actions and words. I am now getting the help I need, so please bare with me as I go through these necessary changes.”

“Now, on to why we are all here. Over the last few weeks I have worked closely with Hanji and Henry to get caught up on what has been happening since my arrest in November. Given our current standing the Council has come to a general consensus on our next course of action.”

Henry stepped forward to speak. “They believe it is best to strike later today.” There was some grumbling from the squad. “We understand that this puts you all into action on short notice, but that isn’t out of the ordinary here. We finally have our troops regrouped after the last mission and our now prepped and ready to reclaim lost territory from the SNC.”

“An amphibious assault,” Hanji piped up, “which has been titled Operation Bunkershot, is planned to take place later today. Legion forces will follow a narrow and vulnerable path from their landing site to an inland objective. Unfortunately the path allows the enemy to concentrate their fire and gives them a distinct advantage.”

“We have one thing on our side, however, and that is that the area is out of Stonewall’s range. Meaning that you will be responsible for reducing troop casualties at the landing site.” Erwin finished up. The squad began to flood out of the room.

Erwin called out before they all left though. “Eren, Levi. If I might have a word with you in my office, please.”

**_____________________________**

The three of them walked in silence, allowing every groan of the ship to be heard. The rhythmic sound of their footsteps did little to quell the feeling in Levi’s stomach. He knew what this was. This was the formal apology, but he hadn’t been to Erwin’s office since the incident. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to cross through that door yet.

Erwin pulled the large door open with little effort, sauntering over behind his desk as though everything was fine and dandy. Eren was a bit more hesitant as he entered the room and took a seat in one of the leather chairs set before the big wooden desk. And Levi, well Levi froze at the door.

He stared into the room, taking in the bookshelf and the carpeting. He could see the reinforcements on the bottom of the shelves that had broken, could faintly make out the outline of the blood stain on the carpet.

His blood.

That was his blood.

As if he needed to be reminded any more, the phantom pains of his injury, well healed by now, began to pull at his consciousness. Familiar but distant images flashed through his mind. A stern voice yelling at him.

_Levi, I can explain._

_You know nothing…_

_I am in charge of this fucked up establishment…_

_We aren’t you, Levi!_

_Levi!_

_Levi?_

“Levi?” It was Eren’s voice that brought him back. “Are you coming in or..?”

He stepped onto the carpet with tentative steps and came to rest next to the chair Eren was in. “I think I’ll stand, thanks.”

Erwin cleared his throat. “I’m sure you both know why you’re here.”

“Get on with it.”

“Levi, be nice.”

“You be nice, Eren, after he stabs you.”

“You testified on his behalf! Why are you being this way?”

“I’m not comfortable in here; get on with it so I can leave.”

Eren took his hand then and squeezed gently as Erwin spoke. “I wanted to apologize to the both of you in a more personal manner. The things I said were hurtful and there is no excuse in the world that could justify me saying such things.”

“Eren, you are in no way annoying, nor are you a...,” Erwin cringed at his own past use of language, “dipshit. I would never knowingly send you to your death. I could not do that to you or to Levi. I apologize profusely for even suggesting such things.”

“Levi, nothing I can say or do will ever make up for what I have done to you.”

“Damn straight.”

“Please let me finish.”

“You don’t need to finish. I get it. You’re sorry, you feel bad, you want to make amends. I don’t forgive you, I can’t bring myself to. And you can hate me for that if you so chose, I really don’t care anymore. I just want this fucking war to be over and as far as I’m concerned, you are, unfortunately, our only hope of reaching that end.”

Erwin shook his head in understanding.

“Can we go now?”

“Yes, Levi, yes, you can both go.”


	34. Operation Bunkershot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now back to more missions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't put up a new chapter lately. I'm finishing up my time in university and this week was the last few days of classes. Now I'm on to finals and, God willing, I will pass everything! Which also means that I get to graduate on the 12th!! YAY!
> 
> I'll try to post somewhat regularly (like every couple of days), but try not to crucify me if I skip a day or two. I have a lot to do in order to prep for finals. I'll try to finish all the chapters I still need to write asap once I'm graduated, that way I can see about scheduling posts better.
> 
> And just a warning, some heavy shit comes up in chapters following this (all in regards to Levi's past). I will tag and mark chapters accordingly so if there is anything that you dislike/find triggering, you can skip it.
> 
> Now on to this chapter!

**-Operation Bunkershot-**

**-Location: Chlorba Beach-**

**-Southern Rose Territory: Coastal Region-**

**-Jan.24.2016-**

**-1700hrs-**

**\- Stormy-**

**-Mission Objective: Gain air superiority over Chlorba Beach.-**

**_____________________________**

If a civilian thought that driving through a thunder storm at seventy miles per hour made the rain pelt on the windshield in a way that made it hard to see, they should try flying through the air at over six hundred miles per hour. That was the thought drifting through Levi’s head as he watched the water fly toward him only to be redirected by the air currents around the jet at the last minute. The sky was dark; a mix of grays, dark greens, and blacks and when strikes of lightning lit the clouds, bits of deep blue seemed to mix in as well.

Clouds that from below would have looked fluffy and soft, despite the harsh weather, appeared foreboding and sharp from Levi’s perspective. Below him the water was dark, churning as the winds raged across its surface. Visibility was very low and would make flying difficult. Right now the jets were in a tight formation, but the minute land came into sight they would all scatter. He could only cross his fingers and hope no one crashed, be it into another jet or into the water or land.

The com system crackled to life, Mike had patched them into the ground troops’ radio frequency. “Headquarters, this is Lieutenant Bates, Commander of Unit B at Chlorba Beach. We do not have air superiority! This is not what we were promised!”

“This is HQ, friendly flyers inbound. Continue in your efforts to secure the beach.”

Before they reached the beach front they were intercepted by several MIG fighters. Looping around in the clouds, Levi watched as jets came close to hitting the dark depths below. And after what felt like forever, the MIG fighters went down.

“Chlorba Beach at vector seven-six-zero. Four miles.” Mike informed them as they drew closer. This was where they scattered, splitting into three groups. Each group would head for a sector of the beach; east, west, and central. Levi was headed for Central Chlorba alongside Jean and Ymir. He knew Eren was in the group going west and Mikasa was going east.

“This is Unit B. We have reached the beach!”

Levi could see the coastline now. The sand appeared tan and stood out harshly from the dark waters and darkened landscape of the mainland. Radar began to pick up buildings and tanks hidden amongst the shrubbery that came close to the beach.

The battle for air superiority was no simple thing. There were other jets to worry about, not to mention the worsening weather, as well as the enemies on the ground. Levi carefully maneuvered out of the way of a tank’s projectile.

“This is unit S. We’re on the beach!”

As the beach came to an end a series of hills rolled up into mountainous peaks, making any fighting done further inland all the more dangerous for the fighters in the sky. The central beach didn’t take long to clear out though, so Levi headed to the west as communications from that direction seemed to point toward some troubles.

Upon arriving Levi found that this part of the beach was covered in far more ground to air artillery than the central beach had been. The shots from those devices where making it quite hard for air support to get low enough to do any real damage. He was quick to do a fly over and bomb the majority of the enemy infested beach.

After several minutes of helping he was given the okay to head east. He grappled with several enemy fighters as he sped eastward.

“Support fleet! This is Unit Y! We need backup!”

That was the ground unit on the eastern beach. That meant things weren’t going to be pretty when he got there. The east beach was the most heavily fortified. Rows of tanks and ground to air missiles lined the sand and every available jet was busy taking on the multiple enemy fighters in the air. Levi began his assault on the ground, taking full advantage of the enemy air support being distracted.

“Bates here from Unit B. We’ve got A-10s closing in on the central beach. We don’t have the forces to hold them back!”

“All aircraft to the central beach, now!” Mike yelled, but Levi was already well on his way back. The A-10 was a beastly aircraft that Sina had been using since the mid-seventies. They flew surprisingly well in rough weather for being older crafts and they were impossible to take down from below. So Levi had no choice but to stay above them and drop homing missiles instead of his usual ones.

He made quick work of most of them, the others showing up to finish off the last of them.

“Mission success!” Mike relayed. “All hostiles shot down. Unit B Commander, didn’t you have a message for the pilots?”

“This is Sergeant Cambridge. I’ve taken over command of Unit B as we’ve lost Lieutenant Bates. Just wanted to tell them, thanks for the supporting fire.”

**_____________________________**

Back in the briefing room on the Rogue everyone was abuzz as Erwin debriefed them.

“A beachhead was established through fierce fighting at all beach landing sites. But this is only our first step in regaining the entire mainland. You all did good out there. Dismissed.”

On the way back to the special ops squad common room Eren and Levi bumped into Armin. The short blonde had a stack of papers too high to see over in his arms and was about to topple over had Eren not caught him. Thanks were spit out and the stack was split into three smaller stacks, as Levi and Eren insisted on helping him carry it all to its proper destination.

A short time later the three of them were walking into a mess of an office. On the door in gold lettering was Hanji’s name. The papers were set back into one stack on the only clear space upon the desk and then they were all leaving as quickly as possible for fear of catching something.

“Thanks again for helping.” Armin offered up as they headed back the way they’d come.

Eren just waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. We’d always help you, Armin. No questions asked.”

“Are you guys doing anything?” Armin asked, looking a bit shy.

Levi quirked a brow. “Not at the moment. We were both headed to the common room.”

“Well, I actually don’t have anything to do for a while. And Eren had asked a while back if I was free to get together so we could hang out some.”

“I can find something to do, if you’d rather talk to him alone.” Levi cut in. “I understand that you both might need some best friend alone time. You don’t get much these days after all.”

“Thanks Levi.”

“Anytime. You two go do whatever it is you two do.” Then he paused. “No sexual stuff though.” And then he was gone, leaving both Eren and Armin to blush and splutter profusely.

“Like we’d ever do that kind of thing anyway.” Armin choked out. Eren agreed.


	35. Dreaming of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi makes a choice regarding his memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning, part of this is kind of graphic (there's blood and sickness and death). It's all in the last parts if you'd prefer to skip it.
> 
> Oh, and before I forget. I had to make a few changes to a small part of the opening for chapter 7. I was writing later chapters and realized a had made a mistake in location. It doesn't change much, so I will just explain it here unless you want to go read it yourself.
> 
> The boy telling the "story" that is bolded and italicized in sections through out this isn't in his hometown where his parents died, Quinta, anymore. That's how I originally had it, but later realized I had messed that up. He goes to stay with his Uncle, but I didn't realize that his Uncle lived elsewhere. So he and his Uncle are actually in the city of Mitras, not far from where Stonewall was located in Sina's territory. 
> 
> Just wanted to clear that up.

**-February 9 th, 2016-**

**-L.S. Rogue –**

**-1900hrs-**

**_____________________________**

He stalked through the hallways of the Rogue, mind filled with things of the past. Levi’s childhood was not something he found pleasure in recalling. If anything he had done his best to repress a great deal of it for how traumatic it had been. But ever since the trial his dreams had been filled with memories of the past. Each time he closed his eyes the dream picked up where it left off. Sometimes it would move forward as if in real time and other times it was flashes over a period of time, portraying things that he had witnessed over time.

It had made life on the Rogue unpleasant for everyone at best. He had been irritable and aggravated from a lack of sleep. And God bless him, but Eren’s attempts at cheering him up and figuring out what was wrong only seemed to make things worse. He had snapped at him a couple of days earlier during a particularly bad headache he was trying to deal with, when Eren had tried to suggest they get some fresh air.

Now Eren was avoiding him like the rest of the crew was and that only served to piss Levi off even more; more so at himself than Eren though, because he was the only one to blame for Eren avoiding him. He wondered what would happen if he just found a way to put himself to sleep and finished off the story. Would that bring it all to an end? Or would it make things worse?

He supposed there was only one way to truly find out.

He stormed back toward his and Eren’s quarters, stopping off at Hanji’s first. The look on their face when he asked if they had any extra-strength sleeping pills was somewhat comical. It was as if they had never once considered that Levi might need the aid of a pill for anything, as if they thought of him in a more than human light. But they ended up handing over a bottle of pills, warning him profusely that he should be careful with how many he took.

“No more than four in a twelve hour period of time, Levi. And I’m being serious. Those pills aren’t something you can just buy over the counter, if you know what I mean.” Wink, wink. “Don’t let anyone catch you with them and be careful.”

Leave it to Hanji to have illegal medication on board, but at this point, he really didn’t care. He needed sleep. So he snatched the bottle from their hands and listened only vaguely as they were voicing the rest of their warning. He walked out, waving a hand dismissively.

He was careful to lock the bedroom door behind him when he got to his quarters. He filled a glass with water and downed three of the pills in one gulp, setting the bottle and glass on the nightstand. He settled himself atop the sheets, kicking his boots off the side of the bed, letting them clatter to the floor with two solid thumps.

He let out a deep sigh, his eyes focused on the ceiling. But it wasn’t long before he felt drowsy; eyelids heavy and eyes scratchy, a feeling that only left when he let his eyes drift closed. His body naturally fought it, causing his eyes to flutter open from time to time. In the end the drugs won out and he drifted away, back into the nightmare he called his past.

**_____________________________**

Cold air streamed into the house past the figure that stood in the doorway. A tall silhouette of a man is all that he appeared to be as the light from the outside world was brighter behind him than the little light inside the house. Kutchel rose from the floor, leaving Levi to fall forward out of the cabinet. “No.” She hissed, voice filled with terror as he took a few heavy steps into the house.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t come for him, Kutchel?” His voice was deep and rough; heavy with the effects of years of alcohol and cigarettes. “He’s come of age. It’s time, you knew it would come.”

“Please, you can’t. He’s so small, so young.” She pleaded.

“He’s gotta come with me.” He pressed forward, moving to grab the young boy.

With a screech Kutchel was on him, her small hands clawing at his face. He pushed her back, holding her at arm’s length as though she was nothing more than a rag doll, a puppet on strings. “Look here now, I ain’t got time for this mess.” She continued to struggle though, doing what she could to keep him from her son.

But as quickly as she had begun to fight him she stopped, her body overcome with a fit of harsh coughing. She shook with the force of it and soon bent over, grasping to a nearby piece of furniture to keep herself from falling to the floor. The man looked on in shock as a small bead of blood formed at the corner of her mouth. He did not know how she could have kept this from him.

“How long have you had the sickness?” He asked her, voice hushed and demeanor now changed as he walked forward so he could help her sit down.

Her coughing finally calmed enough for her to speak, though it was hardly a whisper. “That doesn’t matter. You can’t take him, not now. He’s all I have left.”

“You’re dying, Kutchel. How can you think it wise for him to watch you wither away?”

“Kenny…you know I can’t just let you take him. What kind of mother would that make me?”

“In your state, letting me take him would make you a wise and caring mother. No child should watch their mother die.”

“He’s too small for The Yard. They’ll eat him alive. You can’t take him there, Kenny. You can’t.”

“I have no choice. It’s the way things are here. He’s of age, so he must go.”

“I beg of you, please. Let him stay here. I’ll fight you with everything I have left if you try to take him from me now.”

“As your brother, I haven’t it in me to fight you. But the boy has to go to the yard one way or another. You’re only postponing the inevitable. I’ll come back. After you have died, I will return for him. I hope you don’t regret this, Kutchel. I truly hope you don’t.”

“I won’t, brother.” The door slammed shut behind him, washing the house in semi-darkness once more. Kutchel turned to where Levi sat on the floor and opened her arms to him. He pushed himself up and rushed over to throw himself in her lap.

“Everything will be fine, my little one. No one will hurt you, so long as I am around. I promise you that.”

**_____________________________**

For the next five weeks Levi watched as his mother changed.

Her hair that once shone brightly was now dull and brittle. He sometimes found clumps of it on her pillow or tangled up in the bathroom drains. She tried to hide it from him still, unaware that he already knew.

Her skin began to break out in a strange rash that soon formed blisters filled with blood. The slightest touch, even from her clothes, would make them burst. She began to sleep on the couch instead of in the bed with Levi as she had done before. For the first time in his life, Levi cried himself to sleep.

Her cough became more prominent, to the point that she could barely breathe without her body shaking in pain. Each day she grew weaker, until one day she could not bring herself to rise from the couch where she had slept. By this time, it was too late for her and Levi was not old enough or big enough to help her as he wished he could. It was like this for several days, until one morning Levi went in to change the sheet that he had laid over her.

He walked into the room, sheet in hand, only to have it fall from his grasp when he looked up from his feet to gaze upon his mother. Her sunken face was a ghastly shade of green. A white froth bubbled from the depths of her mouth as choking noises came from her. Her body shook with small spasms as her eyes began to glass over. Even when Levi was certain that his mother was no longer with him, still her body shook.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there before finally collapsing to the floor, his eyes never leaving the figure that lay upon the couch, the only thought in his mind of how her promise had finally come to an end.


	36. Painted Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Mikasa's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some graphic stuff in this chapter. Lots of blood mostly.

**-February 11 th, 2016-**

**-L.S. Rogue –**

**-0300hrs-**

**_____________________________**

No trace of the morning light could be seen. The young woman sat atop her bed, hair amiss and chest heaving. Moments before she had been flailing mindlessly, searching in the dark for the one thing that could calm her. She didn’t have the dreams often, but from time to time they still haunted her. Tonight had been one of those nights.

The fabric beneath her fingers was as soft as it had been the day it was first given to her. It was her safety net, a reminder that someone had wanted her, had not thought of her as damaged. But the scarf reminded Mikasa of that day so long ago in more than one way. The smell, the feel of it reminded her of Eren, of the home he and his family had given her. The color of it reminded her to fight, the fierceness of Eren’s words from back then forever embodied in a single color.

Those were the good memories.

At the same time it brought memories of anguish and tears and blood. A sky painted red with burning embers and a once beautiful meadow painted red with the blood of her family.

Mikasa had lived far outside of Shiganshina when the war began. Her mother and father had managed to buy a tract of land several miles from town when they had first gotten married. A marriage that had been frowned upon by their respective families as she was Oriental and he was from one of the Old Blood families of Sina. Perhaps they were doomed from the beginning, or perhaps fate had decided to place them in a strange Romeo and Juliet like role.

Mikasa was born in the small cabin on the property. She would pick flowers from the nearby meadow to bring home for mommy and would help daddy carry in the wood for the fire. They were self sufficient.

Life was simple.

Life was good.

Mikasa was loved.

But being self sufficient had its drawbacks. It meant that neither her mother nor father ever went to town. They had no radio, no TV, no newspaper. They had no idea that a war had begun to rage in the world around them. So while people in Shiganshina were busy sending young men off to fight and building bomb shelters, Mikasa’s family was hunting and gardening and living on as though nothing had happened.

This would be their downfall.

It had been late one evening. Her mother was in the kitchen trying a new recipe she had created for a soup. Her father was building a small fire beneath their mantle. She was no older than six, had been sitting in the window sill, staring out at the setting sun. There were strange shadows moving in the remaining light, getting larger and seemingly closer. She finally called to her father and pointed them out to him. But by then it was too late.

Men dressed in uniforms were bursting through the door, dragging the three of them out as the house was set ablaze. _A sky painted red with burning embers._ High into the sky the small embers flew, twisting and spiraling in some sick dance.

She was drug, along with her mother and father, to the nearby meadow. The men laughed and jeered, pushing them all about. Her father struck out at one of them, but was sent crashing to the ground with a violent hit. Her mother struggled against the arms that held her fast. None of them paid too much attention to the young girl. Her mother spit forth several words in a tongue that the uniformed men did not know.

_“Run! Run my dear and don’t look back!”_

Mikasa listened as she always had. No one was paying her any mind. They had long since let go of her arm.

But she did look back. She hid behind the trees at the meadow’s edge and turned back. Her mother’s throat was cut by order of the man in charge. “No survivors,” he had said. Her father cried out in anguish and rage, but he was shot point blank through his head. _A once beautiful meadow painted red with the blood of her family._ The drops swirled down to the grass, mixing with the dirt and staining the land forever with death.

Then Mikasa truly ran. She ended up in Shiganshina, telling the residents of the men in the countryside. She told them what they had done to her family with tears streaming down her face. It would be the last time she cried like that for years to come. A young boy and his father had been in the streets when she was saying all this. The man, Grisha she would come to find was his name, told her to go with his son while the men of the town took care of the bad men back from which she had come.

Eren was her age and had been more than happy to take her home with him. She was grateful to the Jaegers still to this day. And losing them had been hard on both Eren and her. But by then, she and Eren were in the air force, already joined with Legion in the fight. They had seen more death by then than they ever wished to see again. But the war was not over.

Mikasa could not lose her strength, her will, not yet. The time would come to cry and let go of it all. Until then there was only one thing to do: fight!


	37. Tango Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Eren.

Stretching out on the bed, eyes still itchy with sleep, Eren appeared to be rising from the dead. He made some of the most inhuman noises as his back cracked upon sitting up. What was the reason for this? Well, since Levi had been so out of sorts lately and had taken to locking himself in their room at night, Eren had been forced to find another place to rest his head at night. Hell the door was even locked when Levi wasn’t in it these days.

And with the Rogue as designated off as it was, this placed Eren in one of the crappy bunks for the janitorial staff. It really should have been illegal for people to have to sleep on such terribly hard beds. It took him a moment to work the kinks from his back. Not only did his body physically feel awful, but there was something terribly draining about not waking up next to the one you loved.

Letting out a long yawn, Eren rose from the lump he called a bed and headed for the communal showers with his jumpsuit. There was a briefing in a few hours and a mission later today, so it was best if the pilots were already in part of their gear to begin with. Stepping from the shower a few minutes later, Eren felt no less tense than he had when he awoke. If anything he felt stiffer, sorer. It was not how he wanted to start the day.

Things only got worse when he saw what was being served for breakfast. How Sasha managed to scarf it down so fast amazed him. He looked at it questioningly, poking at it with his fork. It didn’t look like a sausage patty to him, more like a soy steak. Bluck!

He munched on a piece of toast instead and let Sasha devour his…sausage (No way was that a sausage!).

He caught sight of Levi coming in through the doors across from him. He looked well rested, but Eren could tell that he was irritated. If only he knew what was troubling the man, surely he could help. But if Levi wanted to avoid him, then so be it. Sometimes it was best to give the older man his space after all; Eren had learned that the hard way once upon a time.

It was getting tiring though. Eren wanted his damn bed back! He’d had it all planned out though. He was going to approach Levi after today’s briefing. He could only hope for some results.

It felt like forever as he waited around for the briefing to start. Finally, everyone gathered in the room and Hanji began to speak.

“The Tango Line is a vital defensive line for SNC forces in western Rose. Yalkell Fortress is a strategic foothold on this line.”

Erwin stepped in to give some extra information. “It utilizes unique terrain features that make it virtually impenetrable. We need you to support ground troops by neutralizing the combat power the fortress has.”

“But,” Hanji quickly began, “Be aware that this area is within Stonewall’s reach. But you’re all more than skilled enough to avoid it as we’ve seen already.”

“Be ready for flight run downs in an hour. Dismissed.”

Eren was surprised by how quickly Levi bolted from the room. It took him a bit to catch up to his husband, who was quick to maneuver toward their quarters.

“Levi!” Eren called, but he made no move to slow down. If anything he went faster. “Asshole husband.” Eren grumbled as he sped up and grabbed Levi’s arm, swinging him around to face him.

Levi didn’t say a word, he let his eyes drift to the ground instead and Eren’s heart ached. “Levi…please, talk to me.”

“A few more days, Eren. That’s all I ask.” Levi’s voice was soft, filled with a pain that Eren didn’t understand.

“Three at the most, Levi. I can’t stay away from you for more than that, no matter how much you wish to avoid me.”

Levi nodded his agreement. “I need to get ready.”

Eren let him go; watching as he slowly strode down the remaining distance to their room’s door. Only after it had closed did Eren leave. Maybe when this was all over, Levi would tell him what seemed to be haunting him so severely.


	38. The Yard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back into Levi's memories...
> 
> !!WARNING: Blood, malnourishment, child abuse, implied cannibalism, and rape/non-con (somewhat graphic, but not like full on description)!!
> 
> You've been warned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter gets brutal...prepare yourself and adhere to the warnings above!!
> 
> Also I graduated from college this morning. It feels...strange knowing that I'm not a student any more. There's a sense of emptiness, I know that part of my life has come to a close. And there's this feeling that I want to just cry my eyes out because I'm terrified of having to move forward into the adult world full time. It's surreal in a way...and I'm not sure that I like it.

Levi closed the door gently, knowing that Eren was still watching him. His head swam with visions of the past. As much as he hated to think of it all, his dreams had now brought back up something he never wanted to remember. Everything that happened after his mother’s death had only served to spiral his life so far out of control he had once thought he would never come back from the abyss he had been cast into. It had all been retched, the most horrific experience.

It was bad enough that he wouldn’t even dare wish such a fate upon his worst of enemies. Rather a quick death than the shit he’d gone through. Death was something he had once wished for in those days. But he had a strong will and refused to give up until his dying breath.

Even now, as a mission loomed before him he couldn’t seem to properly clear his head. It was driving him insane. He wanted this to be over, this madness spurred constantly by dreams, nightmares of a reality he had long since left behind. The pains felt real to him even now, the ghosts of injuries long since healed coming back in moments of mental weakness.

These were things he did not wish Eren or others to know about him. But Erwin knew. God how that man could infuriate you to your very core. And if Erwin knew, there was a chance Hanji did as well, because if anyone could pry information out of you Hanji could. It was actually something that they did quite often, much to everyone’s chagrin.

Thankfully no one every pushed him too hard about his past. Unfortunately, Eren was going to have to know at some point. But he needed to get his thoughts together, figure out the best plan of attack when it came to explaining such a thing. He knew Eren would love him no less, but it would certainly change the way his husband looked at him. There was no stopping that.

Levi let the memories wash over him as he tried to make sure he remembered everything pertinent that had happened to him in those days following his mother’s passing. He hated to relive it all, but if he was to finally get the closure he so desired, this was the way to get there.

**_____________________________**

Staring at his mother’s corpse, Levi lost all sense of time. He knew not how long it was before the front door was gently pushed open and that same voice, Kenny’s voice, softly murmured, “Damn woman was just so stubborn.” It couldn’t have been any more than three days that he sat there though, because he would later learn that three days was how long one could go without water. And he hadn’t drunk one drop in the time he had sat there.

Kenny had wrapped his arms around Levi’s waste, tugging him up without protest, and walked out the door. Four men had shuffled in behind them to dispose of the body.

There was no funeral, no parting words. Levi never returned to his home.

Something far worse than watching his mother wither away awaited him.

Kenny left Levi on the far side of the village with a short, pudgy man. His hair was greasy and gross, eyes beady and dull. His teeth were yellow and black, and a large cigar hung from his lips. He blew a plume of smoke into Levi’s face and gestured for him to follow with a crook of a nasty finger. Not knowing what else to do, Levi followed.

He was lead through a gated area and directed through a dark passage in the hillside. When he came out the other side, Levi stood in shock. There was an area with a high wall, rubble and trash lay scattered throughout the entirety of the area. Levi could see children, mostly boys all that appeared to be his age, running and fighting amongst each other in the enclosure. Levi turned to run away from such a horrible place, but was met by one of the pudgy man’s hands to his face.

“Don’t think so boy.” He shoved Levi to the filthy ground. “Welcome to The Yard kid.” A large gate slammed down in front of where Levi lay and the man was gone.

He learned quickly that The Yard was far from a pleasant place to be. Gone were the good ole days when his mother would play with him and he was free to be a kid. The Yard forced him to grow up fast and learn to adapt quickly.

The first thing Levi learned was that food was scarce. The men in charge dropped fresh food off at the gate once every two weeks and there was never enough for the surprisingly large number of young boys inside.

The second thing he learned was that if you weren’t strong enough or smart enough to get said food in some way you were left to die. It was not uncommon to see the rotting corpse of a child as you walked down the alleyways of garbage looking for shelter from bad weather. What was worse is that some of the children were hungry enough to actually use the corpses, if they were still fresh, for sustenance.

The third thing he learned was that everything had a price. This he learned the hard way back when he was still new to The Yard. He had been hungry, in desperate need of food. God knows how long it had been since he had eaten and he was feeling it. His stomach growled and groaned in protest at not having anything in it. He had stumbled into an area he was unfamiliar with, not that he was familiar with much at the time. There had been another boy there, a couple years older than him at least. There’d been a strange look on his face, but it had morphed into a gentle smile.

That gentle smile had turned brutal when Levi was stripped of his clothes and shoved face first into the muddy ground. He was forced to remain in that position, ass bare and up, as he was violated. When the other boy was done he’d left Levi to cry, leaving a small package of food as he had promised.

Levi had been naive to trust him. And he had paid for it with his dignity and innocence.

From that point forward Levi trusted no one he came in contact with. He built up his strength and agility, worked hard to become cleverer in how he handled himself. Within a year he had an air about him that kept others away. But that wasn’t entirely what he wanted. He did manage to get a select few to trust him enough to hold a simple conversation. Of course he paid them in food for their knowledge, so that helped.

The main thing he asked about was the older boys who disappeared every few months.

The fourth thing Levi learned was that The Yard was only the beginning of his journey. Something even worse lay ahead of him.


	39. Operation Woodpecker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mountain range mission!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a total of 65 chapters for this story (and an epilogue)...just to let you know. I am still finishing up the last 3 or 4 though, but I'm almost done.

**-Operation Woodpecker-**

**-Location: Yalkell Fortress-**

**-West Rose Territory-**

**-Feb.28.2016-**

**-1415hrs-**

**\- Partly Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Neutralize the fortress’ combat power. Avoid any Stonewall attacks.-**

**_____________________________**

“Whiff here. You’ve just entered Stonewall’s engagement zone. Be careful, they could shoot.”

The group of jets was quick to split up into groups so that all the areas within the mountains before them could be handled. Connie’s gob smacked voice came through the coms. “How’d they manage to build a base here?”

It was a perfectly relevant question. The mountains of western Rose where treacherous at best, a death trap at worst. They shot out in odd, jagged angles, making flying difficult and construction even more so. It was hard to imagine how it had taken place.

There was also a river that wound its way amongst the low lying crevices between peaks. This was where most of the base was located, scattered about on the river’s edge and tucked into caverns where the river no longer flowed.

Levi spent most of his time taking out hovercrafts and boats. He heard Mikasa hollering about docked submarines over the com as well. Thankfully it was a clear enough day or this mission would have been hell.

Eren was saying something about deeper waters holding gun boats and larger ships when Mike’s voice cut him off.

“Attention all aircraft, incoming from Stonewall confirmed. Thirty seconds to impact. Drop below two thousand feet to avoid.”

“What are we supposed to do fly through the damn mountains?” Jean called out.

He briefly heard Reiner mumbling something about flying in a damn phone booth. It was tight quarters if you weren’t up high dog fighting with enemy jets.

Things got rather chaotic for a while. Levi was up and down after jets and avoiding Stonewall. Everyone was twisting and turning like crazed birds in the tight, awkward spaces between peaks.

“Submarine base is out of commission.” Sasha reported. “Heading in as reinforcements now.”

Everyone was beginning to converge on the main base area with their smaller areas taken care of. The help was much needed as it was only Levi and Bert taking it on at the moment. The sea of green below him, the large forest that covered the area, was glowing in some areas where jets had crashed and caught the trees ablaze. Hopefully the area wouldn’t burn to a crisp.

“Stonewall inbound! Drop, drop!”

Levi watched as the sky seemed to ripple with the impact.

“We got choppers!”

The rotating blades went flying into oblivion when Levi blew the choppers up. Several enemy jets made it off the ground at the enemy air base before it was taken out by Jean and Krista. The squad went scrambling after them all.

During the chase a couple of the enemy fighters didn’t pay enough attention to where they were going, crashing into the mountain side like idiots.

The whole thing was over in less than fifteen minutes with no Legion casualties. It was actually rather amazing. They all headed back, flying low toward the base as one final Stonewall blast went off behind them. Levi couldn’t help but think it would have been an amazingly cinematic movie scene.

**_____________________________**

“Yalkell Fortress was destroyed.” Erwin announced at the debriefing. Everyone gave out a hoot. “The ground troops broke through the Tango Line and are now in control of the Laos area.”

Excited cried went up again, prompting Erwin to put his hands up to quiet everyone down. “A new field HQ was put into place so that Legion can now invade deeper into the mainland and make an attack on Stonewall.”

“Fuck that thing!” Connie cried. Everyone else responded in kind with a loud “yeah.”

After they were dismissed most of them headed to have their fun, planning on playing poker and drinking. Eren gave Levi a longing look filled with pain and sadness, before heading off to join them. Levi went in the opposite direction, locking himself within his room once more and grabbing the all too familiar bottle of pills.

He fell onto the bed as if he were dead weight. He drew shapes on the ceiling until his eyes grew heavy and finally he drifted back into his own personal Hell.


	40. The Pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into the darkness again...
> 
> !!WARNING: Graphic depictions of underage rape/non-con, child abuse, blood, fighting, murder, and neglect!!
> 
> This is your warning.

Levi had been in The Yard for two years when the men came for him. He tried to hide from them, doing so successfully for a few weeks. But his fate was inevitable and he could not escape it. They dragged him, kicking and screaming, from the depths of the place he had made a name for himself in. He was not prepared for what his eyes would see upon being thrust into another new world.

The Pit is what they called it. It was how they weeded the weak from the strong. It was a bloody, brutal place.

The first thing Levi laid eyes upon when he was carried into a new walled off area was The Pit’s main attraction. A large hole in the ground, a good twenty feet deep dropped into the center of the arena. Along two of the walls were cages no bigger than four feet by four feet, each one housing a dirty savage of a boy. On the third wall was another hole, stretching the entire length. A putrid smell wafted up from its dark depths. This was where the dead were thrown.

Levi was brought to the edge of The Pit, forced to look down into it. At the bottom were two boys. Their feet sunk into several inches of blood and grit. One was bludgeoning the other with such force Levi thought his hand was surely broken from it. The other boy was futilely struggling to get the upper hand. With a sickening crunch the struggler went slack, but the beater did not stop.

Levi learned that The Pit was a fight to the death unless you could hold your own for thirty grueling minutes against your opponent.

The first time Levi was placed in the grimy depths, his opponent was twice his size and four times as wide in the shoulders. Levi did not want to fight him, did not want to kill him…but he certainly wanted to kill Levi. No sooner than they had both been dropped in had the other pounced. Levi moved as quickly as he could, but still sustained several heavy blows. He ran to the far side of The Pit after making a severe hit to the big guy’s head, dazing him for a brief moment.

Levi was not yet ready to go in for the kill. He was internally struggling with the idea of taking another’s life. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right! But the big guy was charging him in no time and Levi had little time to think, so he acted.

At just the right moment he threw himself toward the wall, jumping as he went. He propelled himself off the wall and straight for the big guy’s head. Levi’s legs wrapped around his neck and his momentum jerked the other’s spine just enough for the crack to be heard. Levi rolled away as the body fell, paralyzed from the break.

He looked up to the men who watched from above, hoping they would pull him out and finish the boy themselves. But he received only expectant glares in return. When the men saw he was making no move to finish his battle, they made it known what he had to do.

“Finish him, kid.”

Levi cried in his cage, later, after having choked the paralytic boy to death. But the fights didn’t stop there. Day after day, Levi was sent to The Pit and forced to kill. The men watched from above as the small boy grew stronger and quicker with each fight.

Years passed in The Pit. Levi grew very little in height, but with great bounds in his ability. His hair became long, falling over his shoulders like that of a young girl. This became a problem of great strife for Levi, because he had his mother’s face, just with his father’s eyes (a father he never knew). The men who watched them were sick; not of the body, but of the mind.

Levi was thirteen the first time it happened. One of the men came to get him late in the day. Levi assumed they all wanted to have a late fight; which was odd, but not unheard of. He was, as usual, shackled and taken from his cage. But instead of being taken toward The Pit, he was taken toward the supervisors’ quarters, where all of the grown men stayed at night.

He was thrown inside; the door harshly slammed shut behind him as he was grabbed up by unfamiliar hands and slammed face first into a wooden table in the center of the room. It was poorly lit, but Levi could make out many figures within the room. He could feel them binding him to the table; tearing at the rags he called clothes until they were removed from his body. An image appeared before his mind’s eye of a boy older than him explaining what the price for the food he had been given was.

He struggled then, not wanting to re-live such a horrible thing. But it was futile. His efforts were for naught. Hungry sneers and grabby hands rained down upon him. He was violated violently, against his will. He saw them through teary eyes; saw what those who were waiting their turn did. It burned and it ached with each movement they made. He cried out and bit at his lips, but this only spurred them on. They called him a woman and a whore and a slut. Said he needed to be a good little girly and let them fuck his tight little cunt all they wanted. He could feel their hot spurts upon his back and inside of him; sometimes he could even feel it upon his face.

At some point he blacked out, quite certain that this had not stopped them from continuing on. He awoke the next morning in his cage, aching and sore like never before. For the first time he felt truly disgusting.

When it happened again the next week, he fought harder.

When it became a regular thing, he began to believe the things they said about him.

When it had been going on for six months, he went along with it.

And when it stopped, he pushed it so far into the depths of his mind that he was certain it would never surface again.

The future would show he was wrong.


	41. The Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the brutal past.
> 
> !!Warning: Abuse, neglect, bondage (not the sexual kind), torture, death, blood, gun shots, and child soldiers!!
> 
> This is your warning!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished writing all the chapters, so I will try to update daily from now on. I'm ready to have this whole thing uploaded so I can work on other things.

True to his word, Levi pulled Eren aside three days later. It was time he explained to Eren what was going on and let him in on the secrets of his past. He wasn’t entirely ready to be out with the truth, but Eren deserved to know. Better for them to possibly fall apart now rather than later, he supposed.

Eren was giving him nervous looks the entire time as they walked in silence toward their room. Upon entering it, Levi locked the door and asked Eren to sit down. Eren clambered onto the bed, crossing his legs and looking intently toward Levi. Levi took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage so he could talk about his past.

He started pacing and Eren’s eyes trailed his path. Finally, Eren could take no more. He reached out, gently taking Levi’s hand and making him step over to the bed. Levi couldn’t meet Eren’s eyes though. “Hey.” Eren kept his voice soft. “You can talk to me. You know that.”

Yeah, he could. He could talk to Eren. Eren loved him, no matter what. They weren’t dating, this was a marriage. They had vows to uphold. He could do this.

And so he spilled; let it all flow out in a rush of anguish and pain. He told Eren about his mother, how she had withered away and told him about The Yard. He explained the hunger and the death. Then he told Eren about The Pit and the blood and the bruises. He told him about the men and how they treated him.

The whole time Eren remained quiet, taking it all in with sad eyes. But Levi hadn’t even gotten to the worst part yet. No the worst was still to come and as he got ready to speak about it, the memories flooded his mind.

**_____________________________**

When Levi was fourteen there was no one left in The Pit who could stand a chance against him. He was the reigning champ, the ultimate fighter. Unlike before, there were no rumors of what came next. No one even spoke to each other, just looked on with fear or anger in their eyes. So when the men lead Levi to another large gate that exited the arena, he had no idea what to expect.

He should have known that it could only be worse than what The Pit had to offer. Screams of agony and absolute terror greeted his ears first. Then he was lead around the corner his eyes beheld a most terrifying sight.

A wall stood before him, shackles trailing across its length and blood staining the ground below each set of shackles. But perhaps the worst part was what he was then forced to watch. A group of naked adolescents, each close to his age and some older, were lead along the wall. Each one was weighed down by heavy amounts of chains to keep them from escaping or fighting their fate. The shackles were placed on their wrists, faces toward The Wall. A wooden gag was placed between their teeth and then it began.

Whips were the most prominent thing used, quickly ripping into their backs and spilling their life force. There were a few though who used other instruments of pain, one’s that did not scar so heavily or one’s that left greater wounds. Some simply beat with pipes, others had electric batons. Levi was unfortunate enough to get such treatment.

Teeth gnashing, body shaking pain became a daily thing until Levi no longer felt; until his nerves were so jacked up he was afraid he would never be able to properly sense simple touch again. But it didn’t stop there. Even those atrocities were not enough to appease the men in what they called proper training.

Most did not survive the final test; Levi had only ever seen it happen once in the year he was there.

The final test: the best way to prove that everything you had been through had made you resilient in ways no other experience could. You were taken to The Wall and shackled, this time face forward, with no gag, no protection for your teeth. One of the men stood a distance off before you with a revolver. It had three bullets randomly dispersed into the six chambers.

He would pull the hammer back, aim, and fire. You could only guess at when you would be hit. The shots were rarely fatal. But you were left hanging there if you managed not to flinch or cry out and you only passed the test if you didn’t pass out from the pain or from blood loss. If you did flinch, it was back to the daily routine until you either died or you could pass.

What Levi didn’t realize was that the person firing the gun had some relation to the one being shot. So the day Levi was shackled to The Wall it took his breath away when he saw Kenny standing before him, a revolver in hand. The surge of anger that shot through him was enough to keep him awake as Kenny shot him and that anger kept him going until they came back to drag him to a medic. It was only then that he allowed himself to drift off.

Some unknown amount of time later Levi awoke on a cot with nurses flitting about the room. He was forced to remain in said room for several weeks until his injuries were healed. That’s when he found out that things were not yet over. Kenny greeted him when he was lead out of the medical tent. The man had the gall to smile at him.

Levi greeted him with a hard punch to the face and a swift kick to the balls.

Things didn’t settle though. He was thrust into weapons training and he did not understand why. They taught him to kill with something other than his hands, gave him the ability to kill from a distance. He became a hardened soldier in two years time. At seventeen he was put into the field without warning.

He hadn’t even known there was a war going on and now he was part of it. There had been no choices for him, no decision of which side he wished to fight for. He did not know what stance each took on whatever it was that had started the whole thing. When he did ask why he had to fight he was told, “Because we trained you, so you will fight for us!” and then he was kicked away to return to his place on the front lines.

Sometime later he was allowed to return to one of the bases. He had been shot in such a way that required some time to heal. This had made him of no use to those fighting in the field, so he was shipped back only to discover that Kenny was there as well. When he was well enough to leave the medical facility he always kept a close eye on his Uncle.

At some point in time, Levi does not remember when, he saw Kenny and a group of people slip away from the rest. He knew that Kenny was a soldier too, but he didn’t know what he actually did. So he snuck out and followed them as they headed off, the whole while listening to what their mission would be. Finally, they reached a long strip of flattened land.

Levi’s heart leapt the first time he saw one. Never before had he seen something so sleek and beautiful. He watched as each of the group climbed into one with strange hats atop their heads that completely encompassed them. He heard them roar to life, fire spewing from two strange tunnel-like areas on the sections that jutted out of the side. Then they were moving, zipping over the flattened land at great speeds and finally…

He watched them fly. Soaring upward, twisting and turning in the sky; looping through the clouds with death defying accuracy and thrill.

Levi felt it in his bones. He wanted to do that too.

Kenny snatched him from his hiding spot soon after that, scolding him all the while for being a sneaky little bastard. But when he saw the absolute awe on Levi’s face, he had a change of heart so to speak. He decided to teach the boy something else, something new.

And that’s how Levi’s piloting lessons began. A year later he was being allowed to go on missions with Kenny’s squad: The Scarface Squadron.

And boy did Levi fly.

**_____________________________**

By the time Levi had finished spilling his guts, he had begun to cry without realizing it. Eren had pulled him onto the bed as well and was crying as well. Now he knew how damaged Levi was, how broken inside. But he loved him no less and he made it known.

They both fell into the sheets, wrapped tightly together in their shared anguish.


	42. Escort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wings of Freedom squad, ladies and gents!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all the angst of Levi's past, I thought it best to break free of that. So have some of the lovely banter that is completely typical of the squad.

“What’s going on?” Jean asked as he hurried alongside the others toward the briefing room. They had all quite suddenly been told that there was an emergency, security level alpha which needed to be attended to, and to get to the briefing room ASAP.

“Like hell if I know.” Ymir answered, struggling not to step on Reiner’s heels in the cramped hallway space. They came up to an intersecting hallway and the other part of the squad converged upon them.

For a brief moment it was chaos as everyone tried to sort themselves out. They figured it out though and all headed in the proper direction.

“Anyone know what this is about?” Bert panted, trying to keep up with the others.

“Not a clue.”

“Hope it isn’t too awfully bad.”

“Eren probably fucked something up.”

“Shut up, Jean. Not everything is Eren’s fault.”

“Why you always gotta stand up for him, huh?”

“Now is not the time to argue guys.”

“Would you move faster?”

“Stop stepping on my heels, asshole.”

“Oh my God, I hate you all.”

The banter continued until they all crammed into the briefing room. They all got some odd looks from Erwin, Hanji, Levi, and Eren, who were already there. Henry, who no one had seen in a while, came stumbling in after them. He looked like he was sweating up a storm.

He was the one who spoke. “Okay, so I know this is incredibly sudden, but there is no helping that. We have two civilian aircraft flying over the hills of northwest Rose who are under threat of attack by SNC fighters. The engineers responsible for Stonewall and their families are on board. They offered up information in exchange for amnesty and permission to defect to Maria.”

“One of the aircraft is flying extremely low because of an unknown problem and it is not looking good right now. We need several of you to get out there and protect those aircraft at all cost so they make it safely across the combat zone line. Levi, pick two others to go with you and get off the ground yesterday!”

Levi didn’t need to think about it. “Mikasa, Eren, suit up. We leave in ten minutes, tops.”

**_____________________________**

The runway was cleared and Armin gave them the go ahead for lift off. Everything blurred and roared in Levi’s little world as the engines blasted him forward. Back on the deck the others watched on.

“Pretty sure he’s a bit biased about who he picks to go into the field.” Someone muttered.

“You ever think that he might be trying to keep our asses safe so he doesn’t lose another fucking squad?”

“Sasha makes a valid point. He has lost a lot of people so far. That can’t be good for his track record.”

“Way to make it record related, Krista.”

“Back the fuck off her, Govie!”

“Chill, Bitch. No need to get pissy cause I called out your girlfriend.”

“Shots have been fired, ladies and gentlemen. Shots have been fired.”

“No one asked for your commentary, Convict.”

“Just trying to lighten up the mood.”

“We’re in the middle of a freaking war, man! The mood is never truly light!”

“Of course the Horse would make it depressing.”

“Say that to my face!”

“So who wants to play cards?”

“Don’t try to change the subject, Stretch!”

“I didn’t ask for any of this when I signed up!”

“Stop freaking out, Sasha. It’s fine. We’re fine!”

“Does it sound like we are fine to you?”

“Last time I checked, the best way to relieve the stress you seem to be channeling right now was something I am quite schooled in.”

“Ew. No. Back off, Reiner.”

“Dude, not cool man.”

“Not like you’re hittin’ that.”

“But you know that I-”

“That you what, Connie? Finally gonna come clean?”

“Gah! Fuck you!”

“What are we even talking about anymore?”

“Can we play that card game now?”

“Only if what we bet is our secrets.”

“That sounds awful.”

“Why would anyone bet their own private thoughts and feelings?”

“It’s something to do, ain’t it?”

“Pretty sure it’s time to leave Reiner to do whatever the hell Reiner does in his free time.”

“I second that notion!”

“All in favor?”

They all called out together.

“The I’s have it.”

“Fuck you guys.”


	43. Operation Noah's Ark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes things don't go as planned - even for the enemy.

**-Operation Noah’s Ark-**

**-Location: Rolling Hills-**

**-Northwest Rose Territory-**

**-Mar.14.2016-**

**-1531hrs-**

**-Foggy-**

**-Mission Objective: Protect and escort the civilian aircraft until they exit the combat zone.-**

**_____________________________**

“Air Axiom, this is Whiff. Please describe your situation.” Mike voiced as they were in route.

“Air Axiom flight seven-oh-two here. SNC fighters are closing in on us at twenty-three thousand feet. Please hurry!”

“Flight seven-oh-one here. We were shot on takeoff and our captain is injured. This is first officer Wells speaking.”

“Ten-four, an escort is inbound. Both aircraft maintain current courses.” Mike affirmed.

By then, the planes had come into view, along with the enemy fighters. The three of them zipped around the larger plane after the enemy fighter that was trying to attack it. Levi saw it explode when one of Mikasa’s missiles made contact. Eren was diving down toward the lower plane as Hanji announced that another enemy fighter had appeared on radar and was closing in on it.

“Flight seven-oh-one, can you raise altitude? This will assist the Legion escort.” Mike asked.

Wells’ voice came through loud and clear. “Negative. We won’t be able to maintain cabin pressure if we climb.”

The fog was thick at the lower altitude, making it difficult for Eren to properly see his target. But he soon realized there was more than one enemy. He took one out with ease and had the other one taken out before either of them knew he was there.

“We have hostiles on flight seven-oh-two.”

It was becoming apparent that the best course of action here was to split up. Eren took the low flying plane and Mikasa and Levi took the higher plane. With the extra hand Levi had it pretty easy, but Eren was giving it his all.

“More bandits closing in on flight seven-oh-one.”

The fog was beginning to clear on Eren’s level which gave him better visibility and allowed him to lock on and take out the enemy fights on his level faster. But he wasn’t prepared for what suddenly popped up in front of him.

An enemy jet, yellow stripes down its sides, came bursting forth from some thick fog still clinging to the ground. There was no time for him to call out, only for him to act. His jet took some damage as he maneuvered, some of the enemy’s machine gun rounds piercing his left wing. He went round and round in the air, trying to get a lock on the damn thing.

Meanwhile, higher in the sky, Levi and Mikasa had no idea what Eren was going through until Hanji said that bandits were closing in on the lower plane and that Eren didn’t seem to be taking care of them. Levi left Mikasa to finish the job up top and quickly nose dived through the rising fog.

Eren was nowhere in sight when he got down there, but there were still patches of fog he could have been caught up in. He quickly dispatched the enemy fighters and began to look for Eren.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a streak of yellow jutting from a nearby patch of fog. But he shook it off as having just been a trick of the eye, until he saw Eren’s jet burst out of the cloud and quickly maneuver up so that he looped around. Eren disappeared back into the fog, putting him just behind the yellow striped jet that came bursting out in the same place he had, except this time it went straight, obviously confused as to where Eren had gone.

Levi couldn’t believe it. Right there, before his very eyes was one of the Scarface squadron. They had likely been sent out to make sure the civilian aircraft didn’t make it to Legion territory in the event that the other fighters didn’t get the job done. Levi was in the process of locking on, when Eren’s jet came flying back out of the fog and fired off four missiles in quick succession.

All four hit home and the yellow jet exploded in a fiery blaze that rained down on the hills below.

Eren had just shot down his first member of the Scarface squad.

Mike’s voice ruined the moment of shock. “Whiff here. Both aircraft have safely exited the combat area. There were no losses.”

**_____________________________**

Back in the briefing room, everyone was surprisingly quiet. All eyes were on Eren who was in a state of partial disbelief himself. Henry, Hanji, and Erwin all entered the room to debrief them.

“All the passengers and crew from both aircraft have been checked by Legion medical staff and are in good health. Several areas have offered up amnesty to the defectors and their families already. I don’t think we could have asked for a more successful mission.” Henry announced.

Erwin piped up though. “But I do believe, if you don’t mind Henry, that a special recognition is warranted today.” He turned to look at Eren. “Staff Sergeant Jaeger-Ackerman shot down a Yellow today, something that no member of Legion has done in five and a half years. Congratulations, Eren.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“And it only seems fitting,” Henry continued, “that you get what you duly deserve. Hanji, Erwin, and I have all agreed on this decision. You’ve worked hard and been through a lot these last six or seven months. We would like for you to hand over all of your uniforms for badge changes. You’re being promoted to Master Sergeant.”

There was a mumbled ‘holy shit’ from someone in the room. Levi had a smug look on his face. Mikasa’s face screamed ‘it’s about damn time.’ And everyone else erupted into applause.

“I’ll get right on that, sir.” Eren said with a big, goofy grin.

Everyone filed out after that. Eren and Levi walked to their room in a comfortable silence, the sounds of the squad drifting to them from afar.

“I’m proud of you.” Levi finally broke the silence.

“Did you know them?”

Levi looked up at him. “Possibly. I didn’t see what number was on the jet, so I don’t really know. Scarface was a pretty big squad back in the day. So it’s still possible that someone other than Kenny is around.”

“Fifty-five.”

“What?”

“The number. It was fifty-five.”

A glimpse of a face made its way into Levi’s head. A young woman, no older at the time than twenty. A head of fiery, red hair blowing in the wind as she stares off at the distant hills with bright, hazel eyes. He never knew her name, just knew she was the pilot of jet fifty-five. He vaguely recalled her saying something about only being there because her family was being threatened.

He wondered if she ever got to see them again.


	44. The Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title is self explanatory. 
> 
> But if not: A look into what the enemy is currently doing.

**-March 14 th, 2016-**

**-SNC Airfield-**

**-Central Sina Territory-**

**_____________________________**

The day had started off quite typical, he supposed. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror he had seen the mess of graying hair atop his head. It only served to remind him of how long he had been fighting this God forsaken war; long enough that he sometimes questioned what he was doing anymore.

After that he had dressed and to save everyone else from having to gaze upon his mess of hair a simple hat was placed atop his head. He’d gone down for breakfast; grits and biscuits as per usual. Then it was on to gather his squad.

Once upon a time he had been proud of his squad, but these days he was only proud of a select few; the ones who had been there from older times. He had watched many of them fall over the years, but some were still with him.

He ran through procedures with them, making sure that they all checked their gear and jets for anything that could be wrong. His wingman, the pilot of jet number four, Amelia Kessler, stood at his side through the entirety of the checks. She was a lovely girl and he knew she had feelings for him, but she was far too young for him. He had long ago passed his prime. And he wasn’t sure he was ever truly capable of being a decent lover anyway. Death had always been his calling card.

But she was always there, had been for as long as he could remember now; standing at his side with her brown hair and her brown eyes, her shapely figure. There were plenty of men who would have killed to have her, but she chose him; an emotionally and mentally unavailable, old man. He had even told her as much to her face, yet still, she stayed.

When gear checks where done it was time for lunch. They had all gathered in the rather run down looking mess hall to sit round tables and force feed themselves the celery soup with stale crackers that was being served. He took all their faces in, wondering which of them might not make it back from the next mission.

Number thirty-three, Daniel Fairbank; tall, slim; green eyes, brown hair; son of a drug dealer dad and a disowned noble’s daughter.

Number eleven, Keeley Clark; short, lanky; hazel eyes, blonde hair; daughter of a prostitute, father unknown.

Number forty, Michael Evans; average height, dark skin, thin as a twig; brown eyes, black hair; son of an engineer who defected and was killed for being a traitor and a nuclear scientist who died of radiation poisoning.

Number fifty-five, Gabriella Stans; average height, average weight; hazel eyes, red hair; daughter of one of the noble families who were taken captive for political purposes when the SNC took over.

Those were just some of the faces he was well acquainted with and any one of them could be gone in a matter of seconds for all he knew.

After lunch a game of cards began. It was getting quite heated too, when they were interrupted.

“We just got word that there are two planes of defectors headed for the combat line. We need one or two pilots to head that way and make sure they get taken down by the forces that are inbound.”

Kenny was well aware that it was automatically implied that he was to choose who would go. “Fifty-five and eleven, suit up.” He never even glanced up from his cards. The two discarded their hands and headed out.

Everyone went back to playing as though nothing had happened. Things were going good too. And if any of Legion’s special ops squad had been there it would have been quite obvious where Levi got his poker skills from. Kenny was killing them all. It would be a miracle if anyone had a penny to their name after the game was over, not that anyone had much to begin with.

When they either had no money left to bet, or needed to keep what money they did have left, other things were placed on the table. A fancy watch, assorted jewelry, someone even put down a knife. Kenny ended up with all of it, though most of it he redistributed back to the rightful owners.

They were all getting ready for dinner, cabbage and rolls, when eleven returned looking quite glum. She walked straight to Kenny and held out a hand gun.

“I’m sorry, sir. I should have gone to help her, but I froze.” She looked so sincere. “Do your worst.”

This young woman didn’t want to die. And Kenny didn’t want to kill her, didn’t want to kill anyone anymore. But it was protocol for the SNC’s military. If you didn’t do what you had been sent out to do, you were useless; you might as well have died in the field. If Kenny didn’t do this though, it would only end in the both of them being killed.

He gave Keeley the most sincere and regretful look that he could, then pulled the trigger. If he looked heartless then so be it. At least his squad wouldn’t think him incompetent or question his authority.

“Someone clean this up.” Was all he said as he walked out of the room. He didn’t have the stomach for dinner anymore.

Back in his room he looked at himself in the mirror. Part of the blood splatter was streaked across his face. He stalked to the bathroom and quickly washed his face. When he looked at himself in the mirror again, he would have sworn he had aged ten years.

He was tired of this, just so tired.

**_____________________________**

“You won’t believe who took her out, Kenny.” The SNC military chairman boasted.

“I take it from your wording that it wasn’t who I was assuming then.”

“No, no, it wasn’t that traitorous nephew of yours. Talented little bastard that he is.”

“Who then?”

“Your nephew-in-law, actually. Something is going to have to be done about that one. To think that we used to be scared of Levi, now we have more of them to worry about.”

“So why did you call me up here? There’s obviously more to this meeting than just letting me know it wasn’t Levi who shot my girl down.”

“As astute as ever, Kenny. Nothing seems to get by you.”

“Just spit it out.”

“I want you to take yourself back about twenty years or so, to before you were a pilot.”

“What?”

“You were a street assassin before the wars began, weren’t you?”

“Well I…yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“You still have those skills I assume. I want you to cross enemy lines. They’ll be watching for you in the sky, not on the ground.”

“What is it you want me to do, exactly?”

The chairman turned to face him with a grim smile.

“I want you to sneak onto the Rogue and kill as many members of the special ops squad as you can. I’ll even give you a bonus if you off Levi and his boy toy too.”

To Kenny’s great chagrin, he gave his answer.

“I’ll see what I can do.”


	45. Stonewall Offensive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interesting mornings and mission briefings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got super busy yesterday and forgot to update!! Way to go me...
> 
> Super sorry, but I can't help when my parents have crazy hankerings to build goat barns. Which is what I spent most of yesterday doing, that and rolling my grandmother's hair for her perm....so fun!

**_The bombs were delivered to the base. This meant an enemy, who needed to be fought by those means, was somewhere close by._ **

**_The Resistance blew up the Yellow’s runway. Yellow Four suffered some shrapnel wounds in the explosion. Though the runway could be fixed, the loss of reserve supplies was quite heavy._ **

**_Logistics support became infrequent following the Allied operations. I knew because the yellow’s crew chief bellyached to me about it almost constantly._ **

**_“I won’t complain if I bite the bullet while I’m airborne, but I can’t stand being taken out while I’m grounded.” Thirteen had said before he was sent away. I understood him now._ **

**_Reports of the Stonewall air raid came in._ **

**_Yellow Four went up with the others. With no bombs her plane was light. But her plane was in bad shape. It needed an engine replacement something fierce._ **

**_____________________________**

Eren hadn’t felt so alive after waking up, well…probably ever.

It was like everything was perfect. Levi was by his side. The sun was shining just right. He’d shot down a Scarface pilot, gotten a promotion, and had some amazing sex plenty of times since then. And to think that had been just a little more than two weeks prior. Things were looking up on all planes of existence.

A soft sigh left his lips and he turned his bright gaze upon the softly snoring figure next to him. For someone so prim and polished, Levi slept like a dumb ass. He was sprawled out, pillow having long been pushed to the floor. The sheets were tangled about him, mouth wide open and a small line of drool was making its way onto the mattress.

Eren just shook his head in amusement, recalling quite vividly the time he’d woken up to Levi being turned the complete opposite direction in the bed. Being woken up by your partner’s feet kicking at your nose was not a pleasant experience.

Irritated mumbling bubbled forth from the raven haired man and Eren began to giggle. “S’not yours; give it back.” Levi grumbled.

This was one of the things few others knew about Levi. He talked in his sleep sometimes. It was how Eren knew he was dreaming. “Give it back, you glasses wearing freak.”

_So Hanji was in his dream_ , Eren thought, _what is going on in that head of his?_

“S’not funny. S’mine. He’s mine.”

What?

“Mr. Squirtle’s mine.”

An odd look passed over Eren’s face. He was dreaming about his squirt bottle that he had named after Eren had gifted it to him? “Levi.” He lightly shook his husband. “Levi, wake up.”

Levi flailed for a moment, only tangling himself further into the sheets before unceremoniously falling off the bed with a strange cry. “Gack!”

“Levi?”

“Mnm… _what_?”

“You okay?”

A mass of black bed head began to rise over the edge of the mattress, piercing grey eyes soon joining the mass of hair to stare into Eren’s very soul. Eren shifted back a little. “Do I look okay to you?”

“Um…”

A pale hand suddenly shot forward and wrapped itself around Eren’s wrist, pulling him forward and off the bed, right into Levi’s arms. Fingers dug into his sides and laughter spilled from his lips unbidden. Levi was relentless in his assault and soon managed to straddle Eren’s hips.

“No.” Eren gasped out. “We can’t, not this morning.”

“Hmm.” Levi ran his fingers down Eren’s shirtless form. “Such a shame.” He toyed with the waist band of form fitted boxer briefs, causing Eren’s breath to hitch further. “We were just starting to have some fun.”

Eren squirmed. “Get off. We have a mission briefing today.” He bucked his hips, trying to get Levi off, but only serving to make Levi moan.

“Damn it, Levi, I said not right now.”

“Fine.”

**_____________________________**

Everyone was in surprisingly high spirits in the briefing room. Erwin and Hanji must have put aside the anger between them at long last, as they were chatting quite animatedly at the front of the room. Armin was actually off to the side working with Henry to get a new projector set up and working right.

“What would I do if you weren’t helping me with this?” Henry said.

Armin side eyed him. “I’m sure someone else on the ship is relatively competent enough with technology to hook this up.”

“That still would have left me trying to find them. You’re a Godsend, man.”

Armin didn’t seem to know what to make of Henry. He had told Eren as much several weeks ago. Apparently the two of them had been working rather closely together, mostly because Hanji was so busy all the time, and Armin seemed to think Henry had grown fond of him…just, maybe not in a friend kind of way.

It had been funny to watch Armin try to explain it and blush profusely like a middle schooler, though. Eren had gotten quite the kick out that. Unfortunately, it meant Armin had been bit awkward around the Chief Master Sergeant.

People began to settle when Erwin cleared his throat. The projector was up and running now, pictures and diagrams of a strange looking base stretching across the screen.

“We’ve been carefully planning this next mission for months now. The plan actually began forming when the war broke out years ago, but no one was ever capable of the proper piloting skills to attempt such a venture. Now we have the pilots and inside information from the people who built the damn thing.”

The picture on the screen changed and Hanji stepped forward. “We will be attacking Stonewall, the lethal weapon that has plagued us since the beginning. Since it was built to destroy asteroids, we believe that a few small fighter jets going in at unpredictably high speeds should be able to get close enough to take it out.”

“According to the defectors,” Henry stated, “It has a central ECM jamming system that will disrupt radar and missile guidance systems. So unless that is destroyed, this mission could very well be a death sentence.”

“This is no joking matter.” Erwin continued. “We are predicting a casualty rate of at least forty percent on all those deployed. It will be tough, but it is unavoidable. We have to go out and reclaim the skies over the mainland.”

“Do us proud tomorrow and be safe. All of you.”

**_____________________________**

It felt strange to be on the ground, looking out at the large expanse of water. He much preferred to be in the air. But orders were orders and once upon a time this had been his life. He sneered, that life was supposed to be over.

Out on the horizon he could see her come into view. The vessel was large, oddly shaped. The L.S. Rogue, quite the sight to behold she was.

He had heard rumor that they would be docking here shortly to refuel before heading back out to sea. No better time to snatch a wandering crew man and steal their uniform so he could sneak on board. Running a hand over his bearded chin he turned to walk back into the shore side pub. A bit of a shave wouldn’t hurt.

And it would make him less recognizable to Levi. His nephew’d never seen him without a beard after all.


	46. File # 45623

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classified SNC documents on Stonewall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting twice today since I forgot to yesterday!

**_*Note: This document is official property of the Sina National Coalition. If you are in possession of this document without the assigned clearance level or you are not an SNC soldier, you are punishable by death and not subject to a trial. If you turn this document in, claiming to have found it, you are still subject to extensive investigation by an SNC team._ **

**_____________________________**

**File # 45623**

**Classified: Level 1 Clearance Only**

**Summary: The following document gives an overview of the Stonewall Turret Network. Included are explanations of its original use, current use, location, and blueprints.**

**_____________________________**

**Report Text:**

After the discovery of the Delta 2004XF94 asteroid in 2004 and the determination of its trajectory, the news of the impact was kept secret until April of 2006. That same day various defensive projects were proposed.

The Stonewall complex, internally called Project STN (Stonewall Turret Network), was conceived and construction was determined to take place in the uninhabited, desert area just west of Utopia Village in Sina territory. Scientists from across the world were involved in the project. The main site was completed in June 2008; the rest was finished in the months to come.

When Delta hit, Stonewall went online and limited the damage done. It was one of the most successful weapons of its kind. In the aftermath of the meteor shower, Sina received thousands of refugees. Not wanting to be overcrowded, Sina closed its borders. The then ruling group of Sina, the Federation of Central Sina, took control of Stonewall and began The War of the Three Sisters by attacking areas in Rose.

Command of the Turret Network was kept by Sina, even after the FCS was overthrown and the Sina National Coalition took charge. Stonewall has since continued to be used to fight off Legion forces, with little success, and attempted to keep Sina as the main power in the area.

Design:

Stonewall is based on a circular facility that is divided into several portions. Each portion houses a railgun, officially called a _120cm-Caliber-Anti-Surface-And-Air Gunpowder-And-Electromagnetic-Propelling Semiautomatic-Fixated Gun_. They operate on a hybrid energy principle, using gunpowder to propel projectiles that are then fired with electromagnetic energy.

Shots can achieve speeds of 6 kilometers per second. Each railgun is directed by a synthesized control network beneath the facility that is comprised of 8,192 supercomputers that are split into 1,024 sets of eight; each is capable of performing nine billion complex arithmetic operations each second, which equals 100 trillion operations per second combined on all computers.

The system gathers data from orbiting satellites and observatories across the world. As a whole the facility encompasses a radius of 1,200 kilometers. The cannons are capable of using a variety of ammunition, including armor piercing explosive rounds and some types suited for large fragments.

Blueprints:

_(these are pictures from the game and something to give you, as the reader, a better idea of what the thing looks like)_

_ _

_ _

_ _

_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never even considered this, but if anyone is interested in better visuals of what some of this looks like there is a wonderful commentary free playthrough of the game (broken down based on each mission) can be found over here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhLEongRncsxr7tea3oZDGTE7BbCY7082
> 
> I used it for descriptive purposes and to make sure my in mission dialogue was fitting for the mission at hand. 
> 
> I tried to match up chapter titles with the names as best as possible, however just to clarify: The names of the videos match up with the briefing chapter before the actual mission chapter. So if the video is titled "sitting duck" then the chapter you would go to for the mission that matches it is is "Operation Umbrella" and so on and so forth.
> 
> I hope that makes sense.


	47. Operation Wall Crasher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fall of Stonewall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than I would have liked it to be, but I forgot how easy of an in-game mission it actually was. For being such a formidable weapon, it is way too easily destroyed.

**-Operation Wall Crasher-**

**-Location: West of Utopia Village-**

**-Southwestern Sina Territory-**

**-April.2.2016-**

**-1000hrs-**

**-Clear-**

**-Mission Objective: Decommission Stonewall.-**

**_____________________________**

The air was alive with a building tension as not only the Freedom squad, but also the other squads housed on the Rogue, drew closer to their target. Each pilot that soared toward the rounded off base at massive speeds held the same weight on their shoulders.

This was the weapon responsible for the death of hundreds of their comrades. Today, they faced it head on.

“Incoming from Stonewall! All aircraft descend!” And now the enemy knew they were here.

Levi dipped down, along with the others, skirting over the desert’s surface.

“We need to take out those jammers.” He said. “It will make it easier to take out the guns.”

He could see it just ahead of him; a circular wall with massive, towering guns situated to peer into the distance. He was close enough to physically see the shock waves with his own eyes. He went right for the main jamming system, straight into the belly of the beast.

After several pass over’s, it went up in a whoosh of flames. Now everyone could focus on the guns themselves.

Each gun had two weaknesses. The first was the barrel itself; blow it up and projectiles could no longer be properly fired. The second was the mechanisms that allowed it to move up and down, side to side; without those in place the gun just pointed to the ground.

There were eight guns in total, but one was already out of commission. He saw Eren take out the first. The first wave of air support was upon them though. It turned into a mad scrambled to avoid close range shots from Stonewall and taking out enemy fighters.

He saw a Legion jet go down out of the corner of his eyes, but he had no time to see who it was. There would be time to learn names and grieve later. Mikasa took out a second gun below him, leaving five more to deal with.

The coms were on fire and his radar was screaming every few seconds. He powered through the noise and took out two of the guns as he flew through. Jean took out another on the far side of the base. Not far behind him was Reiner with another.

That left one to go. And while Levi was tied up with a fighter jet he heard Ymir call it out. Krista had gotten the last one.

Stonewall had crumbled before the might of the Legion air force.

A round of loud cheers could be heard over the coms as the pilots celebrated their profound victory. Then the alarm went out over the coms.

“Whiff here. We have confirmed that Stonewall has been destroyed. But we’ve got company. Five bandits coming in at Mach two. Not to worry though, the Freedom squad is all faster than they are. All other pilots return to base, Freedom you’re free to engage.”

Levi turned around, the rest of his squad following suit, and headed for the bandits. As expected, when they came into view yellow stripes could be seen.

Things got chaotic when the two squads clashed in the air. Missiles flew like birds, jets danced around one another.

But in the end, the yellows had gotten sloppy. Levi did not see the number thirteen among them and it left a bad taste in his mouth. But shooting one of them down no longer bothered him the way it once would have. When he locked onto the jet with the big, white four on it he didn’t hesitate to fire.

The ball of fire crashed down on top of one of the decommissioned Stonewall guns. It was a glorious sight. The instant the plane had crashed the others had turned tail and flew off.

**_____________________________**

“We’ve reached a turning point and hope this victory brings about a quick end to this war.”

Everyone was released after those brief words to celebrate in the mess hall. Alcohol that had been purchased at a recent docking was broke out and cheers filled the air. Someone managed to convince Armin to connect a radio to the intercom system so that music could fill every nook and cranny of the Rogue. People sang and danced; they kissed and fell down in a drunken stupor. None of the Rogue’s crew had been so joyous since before the war began.

No longer would Stonewall plague them. No longer did they have to avoid Sina and parts of Rose territory to avoid it. No longer did they have to fear the skies.

Now they could rule them. Now they could win. Now was the time to act quickly.

“Did you see how that plane spiraled down in all those flames!?” Someone yelled.

“What number was it again!?” Another hollered.

“Four! It was Four!”

“It was Levi, yeah! He was the one to take it down!”

“Damn straight it was! You should have seen it!”

“Oh, what I wouldn’t’ve given to see his face when he did it!”

Through all of the cheers, no one saw the unfamiliar face that fell as soon as the number was announced. And no one saw that same person slink away into the shadows.


	48. Yellow Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People aren't always what they seem. But then again, maybe part of them actually is what they seem like.
> 
> !!WARNINGS: Gore, blood, sexual themes, nightmares, alcohol, death, and some negative thoughts were some blames themself for things!!
> 
> You've been warned!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna upload twice to today, because tomorrow I will be inactive as all hell. So check back later in the day if you keep up with this and aren't subscribed.
> 
> Also I updated twice the other day as well and forgot to say I was doing it. So for anyone who might not've been aware, you might have skipped over chapter 46. While it isn't pertinent to the story, there is some important information there as well as some pictures of what Stonewall looked like a a note with a link for those interested in better visuals for this story!
> 
> Now on to the good stuff!

The Rogue had docked for a short time after its successful mission in taking down Stonewall. Getting off the ship was far easier than getting on had been, all Kenny had to do was walk off. A few blocks away he shed the stolen uniform he wore in exchange for some clothes he snagged at a nearby store. From there he made his way to the nearest bar.

The air was heavy with smoke and the stench of drunken bums that tended to flock to the seaside port towns and the bars in them. But this time he didn’t care. He slid onto one of the worn out stools and ordered a whiskey from the overly busty bartender. The amber liquid sloshed into the heavy glass tumbler as she poured it, then slid smoothly into place before him.

He lifted it to chapped lips, feeling every bit deserving of the way it burned on the way down. He should have been there with them, should have been in the air to protect them or to go down instead of her.

Why’d it have to be her?

He knew how she felt, God he knew. He wasn’t a complete idiot, and she’d come on to him more times than he could have counted once upon a time, but he wasn’t deserving of her, of something so delightful and innocent. He was too old for her, but she had stuck with him despite his rejections and his age.

Now she was gone. There was so much time ahead of her, so much life, so many opportunities. She could have lived through the war. She could have gotten away, fled to another country. Had the chance to find real love and start a family. He’d hindered her, he’d distracted her from the things she could have had.

Only he was to blame for the fact she was gone.

He drank himself into oblivion that night. Somehow he managed to pay for a room at the neighboring inn, stumbling up to it on unsteady legs. He fumbled with the key before he got it into the lock and let himself in, not bothering to lock it behind him. He fell into the mattress, not stripping off his boots or anything, and drifted away into a mildly uncomfortable slumber filled with dreams.

_Brown eyes and Brunette hair surrounded him. His hands trailed over a supple waist and softly tanned skin. His senses filled only by her and everything she was: soft features and beauty incarnate. Limber fingers ran across his jaw, threaded through his hair, to the back of his neck where they stayed and pulled him closer._

_Soft, supple lips moved over the skin of his neck, making him feverish and leaving him to shiver. A sigh fell from his lips, eliciting a soft, but high pitched giggle from her throat. Her hands then trailed down his chest, popping open each of the buttons on his shirt and pulling the fabric back to expose him. Her hair tickled his skin as she mouthed down his body._

_He let his hands run over her smooth skin, coming up to play with her hair, relishing in the feel of it, bringing it up to his nose and getting lost in the smell that washed over him; fresh berries and something that reminded him of the way the sun felt on a warm summer’s day._

_She pulled back slowly, easing her own clothing off, letting it fall to the floor in a rumpled pile beneath her. She gazed down at him, running a hand down her body. She cupped her breasts and slid down her thighs, tantalizing him, making him hunger for more. Her right hand reached out for him as her left slid between her legs, a content sigh falling from her lips as her fingers found purchase and moved in soft circular motions._

_All the while he lay docile beneath her, staring up and taking in every move, every noise. His breathes coming out heavy and hot, sweat dripping from every pore as he looked up at her._

_“Do you see me? Do you really see me, Kenny?” Her voice was high, body a vessel for pent up tension._

_Unable to speak he bobbed his head yes, wanting nothing more than for her touch, to be released from the confines of the fabric about his waist. Oh, how it strained and pressed, begging to be let free of that fabric. Oh, how it pained him to feel every twitch, every shift with that fabric giving off beautiful yet dreadful friction._

_“You could’ve had this?” She taunted. “You could’ve had all this to yourself.”_

_He watched as she took the hand from between her legs and sucked her fingers into her mouth, moaning loudly, eyes rolling back into her head in euphoria._

_Then her arms dropped to her sides, body went limp above him. Her eyes opened wide, looking into his soul with a dull, glassy gaze. “I’m afraid it’s too late now.” Blood began to seep from her ears, her hair fell down in clumps that caught fire as they floated down. Her skin turned dark and wrinkled, blackening in sickly patches and turning to ash._

_Ash and blood coated him in a layer of heat, burning his own skin wherever it touched. He writhed in pain, trying to squirm away from the body above him. She crumbled before his eyes and for a fleeting moment he wondered if this was how she really died?_

That alone was enough to have him gasping awake. He barely had time to take in the room before his stomach lurched. He waddled to the bathroom, figuring the odd walking was from the alcohol still in his system. After he had emptied his stomach’s contents he realized it was in fact not alcohol that had him waddling, but instead it was the rock hard dick in his pants.

Fuck his body for somehow managing to stay hard through the last part of that dream. The memory of it had him drooping back down though and his stomach churning once more. He spent the rest of his night in the bathroom, legs wrapped around the toilet seat and his head leaning against the wall.

**_____________________________**

Two days later found Kenny back in Sina, marching through the hallways to the chairman’s office, a lone handkerchief in hand; the only remaining memento of his fallen wingman. He didn’t bother knocking, just flung the door wide open, startling the chairman and the other two men who were seated at the desk in front of him.

The look on Kenny’s face must have spoken volumes, because the men were out of the room in an instant, door closing behind them with a pronounced click.

“Kenny…I believe you had a job to complete.” A cigar appeared in the man’s fat fingers. “I haven’t heard any news of the faggot being killed, so why are you back?”

Kenny stepped forward, leaning over the desk toward him. “Tell me you didn’t know.”

It was simple request in all honesty, yet the chairman couldn’t seem to bring himself to answer it. “What I decide to disclose to you is the only thing you need to know. You know how things work around here. Don’t question my actions, even if you only do it in that fucked up head of yours.”

Kenny grabbed him by the collar then, slamming his ribs into the side of the desk. “Tell me. You didn’t. Know.” He hissed.

“God damn it. Let me go.”

“Tell me!”

“I fucking knew!” Kenny released him then, body going still as the words sank in.

“Look what you did to my fucking shirt, you useless piece of trash. I aughta have you skinned alive for this. Insubordinate as you always are, you’ve had it coming for a long time now.” He kept going, spewing whatever shit came to mind, not realizing that Kenny was like a snake, prepping to strike.

He saw nothing more than a brief glint off the blade before it plunged into his neck. It hit its mark with deadly accuracy, but Kenny didn’t stop there. When the chairman’s throat was open wide, pouring blood like a fountain, he moved around the desk, pushing the chairman back enough to get at his whole body.

Another slash spilled his guts. Then Kenny only saw red. He stabbed with a blood curdling vengeance, stabbed until his arms grew tired and his person was painted with crimson, the room equally as brilliant in color. He turned the knife over, ignoring how the blade cut into his hand, and used the hilt to bash in the chairman’s skull, not stopping until brain matter mushed out of the opening.

He made to leave, but looked back long enough to decide against it. This violence was still not enough. He made an incision just below the ribs and thrust his hand into the dead man’s chest cavity, groping until he found what he wanted. He grasped it as tightly as he could…

And pulled.

The chairman’s heart held in his hand, Kenny exited the room not bothering to clean up.

Nothing seemed to have changed though. Kenny sat around with his squad; he drank and trained pilots. A new chairman was put in place and the war raged on. Not a single tear was shed.


	49. Safe Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio discusses their plans for after the war and a member of the Wings of Freedom Squad volunteers for a solo mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that I will not be updating tomorrow (Cuz Christmas!!), so I posted twice today and will be posting twice on Saturday to make up for it!!

**_Though he had lost Four, Thirteen never openly showed his sorrow. But I knew of it._ **

**_He was alone one day, quietly gazing at a handkerchief that had belonged to Yellow Four._ **

**_When he felt my gaze upon him, he said, “No matter what, she can’t bitch about it. She’s the one who went up with a fucked up plane. Pilots are responsible for their damn planes.”_ **

**_He then went on to speak of when they had first met. He talked about what her childhood had been like, of how she had been before he’d trained her, before she’d become one of his pilots._ **

**_He didn’t speak directly to me; he was just keeping a precious memory alive by speaking out loud. You could catch a hint of the perfume that was on her keepsake handkerchief._ **

**_The Scarface Squadron’s pilot turnover rate sky rocketed. Those with skill went to other units and rookies with little real air time where put in._ **

**_Yellow Thirteen posted a newspaper clipping from an Allied paper that had been faxed over from the main HQ on the wall. It praised the pilots who took out Stonewall._ **

**_He turned to everyone that day and said, “Look! This is something worthy of praise. Even the enemy has men like this. Not all of them are treacherous bastards who would rob us of our wings with cowardly sabotage.”_ **

**_I watched as the barkeeps daughter winced with his last words._ **

**_The tides had turned…The allies were coming to our town._ **

**_____________________________**

Things had been going incredibly well since Stonewall fell. Ground troops had begun to infiltrate further into Rose territory that they had ever been able to before. With all the success Legion was having came underlying feelings of joy and giddiness.

The members of the Freedom squad hadn’t been quite this carefree in a long time. At least that was the thought running through Levi’s mind as he sat back, cup of tea in hand, watching them all enjoy some time in the commons room. They were joined by some of their closer comrades aboard the Rogue.

Armin was currently spending time with Eren and Mikasa over on one of the couches. Erwin and Hanji had actually agreed to join in the poker game that Reiner had started up a short time ago. Connie was currently upset, insisting that someone was purposefully dealing him bad cards. The someone he was referring to was Ymir, who was playing dealer for the small group.

Henry had entered the room earlier with Mike and they were seated to the side, watching the game, providing some interesting commentary with a little help from Jean. Bertolt was strung out on a rug in the corner, book in hand, caught up in its pages, looking terribly at ease despite Connie’s yelling. Sasha and Krista were in the kitchenette; Krista trying to make sure Sasha didn’t make a mess or eat everything while trying to prepare some decent snacks for everyone.

It was peaceful, nice. Dare he even say what he was really thinking…perhaps he would.

It was perfect. And it hadn’t felt quite this perfect in far too long, Levi was quite certain of that. He caught Eren’s eyes from across the room, only for Eren to quickly look away at being caught. There was something in those eyes that left Levi thinking long and hard about what he had seen glinting there.

**_____________________________**

“What are you going to do when the war is over Armin?” Eren had asked at some point during the conversation he was having with his two best friends.

Armin’s face went blank for a hot second. “Gosh…I don’t really know. I haven’t thought about it.”

Mikasa scoffed. “That can’t be true. You know that at some point or another, the future has crossed your mind at least once.” She glanced over as Connie stood up and pointed an accusing figure at Ymir.

“Well,” Armin squirmed for a minute, “I suppose I’d want to be involved in the efforts to rebuild everything. Probably more on the diplomatic and political side than the physical rebuilding side of things.”

“See…that fits you so well too.” Mikasa said off handedly. “What about you Eren? Do you and Levi have any plans?”

“I don’t know guys. After the talk we had a while back, I’m not sure Levi has ever really known anything but war. What if it all falls apart for us when the war ends?”

Armin put a hand on his shoulder. “It is not going to fall apart. He loves you way more than you seem to realize. He’d keep fighting even if things took a turn for the worst between you. So unless _you_ let it fall apart, it won’t.”

Mikasa hummed her agreement. “I can see you two settling down somewhere nice. A simple house with a couple extra bedrooms for when you decide to add some bouncing little brats to your boring ass lives.”

“Mikasa!” Eren sounded scandalized. “I don’t even know if he wants kids. I don’t think he seems like the type to want to kids. And given his past he probably thinks he’d end up being a shit dad.”

“He wouldn’t be a shit dad. You might have to get him to tone down the curse words, but look at how he handles all of us. Most of us are close enough to a bunch of crazy brats to tell that he could handle it just fine. It’d probably warm his icy heart too.”

“He does not have an icy heart, Mikasa.” Eren scolded.

“Obviously he doesn’t, look at who he’s married too.”

“I hate you both so much.”

“No you don’t. You love us.”

He shook his head at them. The conversation continued on from there, but Eren chanced a glance at his husband sitting all alone. Would Levi really be a good dad? Would he want kids? Kids...actually sounded kind of nice. When he came out of his thoughts Levi was looking right at him. A light blush came over his cheeks and he turned away, tuning back into the conversation with his friends.

A short time later everyone froze as Henry, Hanji, and Erwin’s pagers went off. The three quickly responded, snatching the small devices from their pockets. Their faces became rather grave as they began to move about the room.

Henry spoke up first. “Since everyone is already here, we’ll fill you in now. Hanji, all set?”

A thumbs up came from the brunette where they stood in front of the TV monitor. It was hooked up to the tablet in their hands. A map appeared on the screen.

Erwin stepped up next to the screen and spoke. “We’ve got a recon plane with engines troubles, making it unable to climb to a high enough altitude. It is currently passing through a ravine near Hermina. The ravine is filled with airship mounted noise jammers making radar impossible to use.”

“The risk of a crash is very high. We need one of you to go in and take out as many jammers as you can and get that recon plane back safely. You’ll have to take them out using your eyes since radar won’t work and missiles won’t lock on either so it’s machine guns only. Any volunteers?”

Everyone looked around, trading glances with those closest to them. “I’ll go.” Someone finally piped up. All eyes turned to meet light-brown eyes.

“I can do this.” He said, his head clouded with thoughts that they didn’t believe in him.

Erwin looked to Levi. “What do you think, Levi?”

Levi took one last sip of his tea. “If you want to take this on, then so be it.” He looked straight into the eyes of the volunteer, face completely serious. “But don’t you dare fuck it up, Jean.”


	50. Operation Blindman's Bluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean's solo mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that I will be posting another chapter to this sometime later today! So keep an eye out and check back often so you don't miss it.

**-Operation Blindman’s Bluff-**

**-Location: East of Hermina-**

**-Southeastern Rose Territory-**

**-May.7.2016-**

**-1105hrs-**

**-Foggy-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy jammers; make sure the recon plane gets to safety.-**

**_____________________________**

There were plenty of things on Jean’s mind as he neared the obvious fog cloud that sat on top of the ravine in the distance. The biggest one though was his supreme hope that he didn’t crash into anything. God, if he failed this mission he’d never hear the end of it. It would also likely cost him his position as a pilot on the Freedom squad.

He wanted neither of those things, so he pressed onward, sending up a silent prayer to whoever his guardian angel was to watch over him.

Upon entering the cloud he realized how hard it really was going to be to complete this mission. Visibility was absolutely terrible. But he could just make out the darker blobs that were the in-air jammers. He’d have to aim carefully, ammo was limited for his machine guns and he was too far from base to go back to restock if he ran out.

Each of the jammers took about four shots before it was gone in a small explosion, the engines on the device blowing up. With each one destroyed he could see his own radar clearing up, meaning that the radar for the recon plane would be clearer if they entered the fog before he was completely done.

He could see the murky river below, as it winded through the ravine. Plenty of these jammers where just that low, but at the same time there would be a fair amount up higher, so he raised his altitude and swooped closer to the ravine’s edges that were treacherous and jagged.

With as many jammers as he had destroyed they were all quite well dispersed now, making them harder and harder to find. But he kept going. Sweeping around, up and down, doing what he could to cover as much ground in the ravine as possible.

Other than the bad visibility it was actually a rather simple mission so far. Mike radioed in and said the plane was almost there. This would be the defining moment. His radar looked to be quite clear honesty. It should be enough to get through.

Suddenly there was an incoming call alerting him of danger. Mike was quick to warn him of bandits incoming to take out the reconnaissance plane.

And sure enough, off to the north where six jets, all headed straight for the ravine.

And there was Jean all alone.

Rather than give them the chance to catch up to the recon plane he distracted them as best he could. He looped around them, shooting with his machine gun to rile them up.

It worked, because they all stayed on him, chasing him around in the air as missiles were finally shot. The first two went down without issue, but the other three gave Jean some problems.

They were obviously experienced pilots, their planes seeming to do acrobatics in the air. It was vaguely reminiscent of Levi when he flew. But they weren’t as polished, as fluid, as Levi was. Levi was a master, these pilots where apprentices at best.

Then again, Jean wasn’t much more than that either. But he got off good shots and before he knew it, only one jet remained.

Jean was able to get above him, nose diving straight for him and locking on at the last minute. One missile hit its mark and did its job.

His mission was complete, the recon plane was safe, so he headed back to base.

**_____________________________**

Jean received a big slap to his back when he returned. He’d be feeling that one for a few days, he was certain. Everyone seemed genuine in their reactions to his returning safely though.

“Everyone.” Erwin’s voice boomed. “The recon plane brought us information on Titan. You may not be aware, but Titan is the super weapon Sina had designed to replace Stonewall. Apparently it is not quite yet in operation, but what analysis we have done so far seems to conclude that if we want to end this war, it has to be done before Titan can be used.”

Everyone’s joyous mood dropped off the face of the Earth with Erwin’s words. Ending the war suddenly had a timer on it, one that was counting down. The problem was, at the moment, no one knew what the time on that counter was.

Things suddenly seemed rather grim.


	51. Probation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin confronts Zackly about how long his probation is supposed to last.

**-May 18 th, 2016-**

**-Legion Main Headquarters-**

**-Maria Territory-**

**-0745hrs-**

**_____________________________**

Ever since the trial, Erwin had been on his best behavior. But something that had been bothering him since his sentencing was the fact that Zackly hadn’t actually said how long he would be on probation for. Hanji was rather confused by this as well, which is why the two of them had scheduled to meet with Zackly on this particular morning, early as it was, to discuss the matter. They both felt some clarification was in order.

They had arrived in Maria a day prior given how early the meeting time was set at. Hanji had reserved them a rather simple hotel room. It wasn’t a necessary thing to do, they easily could have stayed in the officers hall, but neither of them had any desire to be around the other branch officers right now.

Legion’s air force had never been the most popular branch, but after Erwin’s trial, popularity had dropped even lower. Anytime they docked lingering soldiers in the area from other branches could be heard making cheap shots and jibes at the air force pilots. It was rather stupid and childish of them really, but there was nothing that could be done except to prove that the air force was as useful and hard working as the other branches.

The echo of their boots down the hall mixed with Hanji’s rather odd breathing noises. They sounded as if they were about to hyperventilate. Erwin glanced at his watch; they were still running early, there was time to address Hanji’s odd breathing.

“You need to calm down.” He spoke softly.

Hanji glanced at him. “But I’ve never been here before. This is so exciting. And I have an earful to give Zackly about not being clear with his sentencing in military trials. He should really know better.”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” He interrupted before they could rant further. “This isn’t like coming to my office and getting onto me for something. This is far more serious. Zackly isn’t our friend; he isn’t your buddy or comrade. He’s the Commander of all of Legion; not just one branch, all of them. You talk to him like that and we’re all liable to get fired. So calm down and let me do the talking.”

Hanji looked rather indignant for a moment, like there was something they were going to say in rebuttal. But instead they just let out a long sigh and nodded in agreement. Their demeanor changed after that. No more erratic breathing and even their stature had straightened out a bit more. They looked professional for once in their life.

At 0759 hours, Erwin and Hanji walked into the room housing Zackly’s secretary. She recognized the two immediately and announced their presence via the intercom. She then ushered them to the door with Zackly’s name in gold lettering.

Darius continued to scribble away at the paperwork before him, not paying any mind to the two people who had just entered his office. They stood there watching him, watching the pen fly over the paper as it scrawled out Zackly’s name in messy script. A quick look was shared between them after a short time.

“What can I do for you?” Zackly suddenly spoke up, startling the two officers. He was still trained on his paperwork.

Erwin cleared his throat before speaking. “We’d like to discuss the terms of my probation.”

At that Zackly did look up, eyes dancing over the rims of his glasses to gaze at Erwin and Hanji. He smacked his lips and sighed, setting his pen down, folding his arms, and leaning back in his chair. “What is there to discuss?”

“It wasn’t made clear how long the probation would last.” Hanji said and Erwin shot them a look. Their mouth snapped shut under his gaze.

“It hasn’t been that long since it was issued.” Zackly argued.

“It would make it easier for us to function if we knew how long Tech Sergeant Zoe and Chief Master Sergeant Jones would need to act as my overseers. Our people are currently overworked while we try to figure out the best way to deal with the change in job descriptions. If you could give us at the very least a time frame to work with, it would allow us to figure out the best plan so that the work can be spread evenly.” Erwin explained.

Zackly’s eyes narrowed. “You want me to put a date on your probation out of convenience? Tell me, Erwin, is probation supposed to be convenient? Is it?”

“No, sir, but-” Zackly cut him off.

“No. Probation is _not_ supposed to be convenient. So why would I put a date on it this quickly?”

“Me being on probation doesn’t mean everyone else deserves to be punished for it as well.”

Zackly pinched the bridge of his nose, his glasses riding up on his fingers as he did so. The man was obviously mulling it over, trying to come up with a decent argument to defend not setting a date for the probation to end.

“No time like the present.” Zackly finally murmured. He stood from his chair, Erwin towering over him, but Zackly commanded the room. “You, Erwin Smith, are as despicable a man as I have ever laid eyes upon. From the moment we were first introduced I thought to myself, look at this weasely, teenage punk.”

“You were arrogant and your face screamed that you wanted to rule the world. And while I’m quite certain your arrogance has changed and is now more subdued, I don’t doubt for one second that if given the chance you wouldn’t try to rule the world still. What made and still makes you different from all the rest like you is that you’re smart.”

“I can dislike you, hate you perhaps, all I want, but I can’t deny that you are a damn good leader. And that pisses me off to no end.” Zackly paused and sat back down in his chair. “Two more weeks, Erwin, then it’s over.”

Erwin and Hanji looked a bit shocked for a moment. Zackly seemed to register this and glanced back up at them as he had gone back to his paper work. “Well you got your answer didn’t you!? Now get out of my office!”

Hanji scurried out rather quickly; glad to be away from the scary little man who was technically her boss in some way. Erwin gave a salute and a respectful nod before he, too exited the room, saying a quick farewell to Zackly’s secretary as he left.

Zackly rubbed at his left temple. He could feel the beginnings of a massive headache coming on. He’d likely catch shit for this later, but right now he didn’t care. Erwin, he knew, played an important part in actually winning the war; difficult choices had to be made. Keeping Erwin in charge was one of those decisions.

“Fucking Smith and his fucking eyebrows.” Zackly muttered.

It didn’t mean he had to like it though.


	52. Breaking Arrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alarms and volunteering for missions. Also some sad reminiscing.

Bodies jolted upright as the alarm went off. Eren groaned as he rolled out of the bed. Levi cursed and glanced toward the bed side clock. It was two in the fucking morning, much too early for this bullshit. But if it wasn’t of the utmost importance the alarms wouldn’t be going off. Eren called out a loud “Fuck!” from across the room. Levi swung himself out of bed and turned on a light to find Eren clutching at his right foot.

“Stop messin’ around and come on already.” Levi grumbled as he threw on something besides his night shirt.

Eren hopped on one foot toward the closet. “I want to see you not curse when you stump your toe.” He nursed his wound a moment longer before snatching a pair of pants from a hanger.

Once dressed, the two made a beeline though the halls. They were not the only ones rushing about. Everyone was hurrying along to their proper stations.

Now that Erwin was no longer on probation, Henry, Hanji, and Mike were all back to their old jobs, along with everyone else who had been placed doing something different. Armin could be seen racing to the communications room still clad in his pjs, Mike not far behind him. Henry was running toward the flight deck, he’d need to make sure everyone up top was getting the runway ready and going through flight checks. Hanji joined Eren and Levi in their trek to the briefing room.

Everyone got there at the same time, except Erwin, who was waiting ever so patiently at the front of the room. However, he looked about as rag tag as the rest of them did. His shirt wasn’t even buttoned properly and his hair was sporting a massive cow-lick. Levi happened to glance toward his feet. Yes, those were bunny slippers.

His voice was deep and thick with sleep as he informed Hanji of what was going on, his eyes still groggy and unclear. The lights had been dimmed, so that still tired eyes could actually be open to see everything.

He yawned deeply before he addressed the rest of them. “With Stonewall out of commission, the landing operations have been underway in the northern part of the mainland. In response, the SCF have launched large numbers of cruise missiles against the Legion landing forces. Our radar is unable to pick up these missiles as they fly at ultra low altitudes. Failure to destroy these missiles will put our troops in danger. I need one, maybe two of you, to shoot and destroy each and every cruise missile. We haven’t got a lot of time, so any volunteers?”

Reiner and Bertolt stepped forward. Oddly enough, they didn’t look much like they’d just woken up.

“Are you both sure?” Erwin asked them.

“Yes.” Reiner answered and Bert nodded his head in agreement.

Erwin looked at them carefully. He could see everything he needed to in their eyes. “Get ready then. You leave in no more than twenty minutes.”

**_____________________________**

Reiner and Bert sat next to one another on the bench as they pulled on their boots. People passed them by as they finished up the final runway preparations. Soon they were alone, sitting in silence as the world went on outside the small room they were in.

Bert turned to Reiner. “We’ve had a pretty good run, don’t ya think?”

“You talk like we aren’t comin’ back.”

“Well, we might not come back. So much is left to chance in situations like these. Who really knows?”

“You getting’ all religious on me or somethin’?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I was...referring to someone actually.”

“Annie.” Reiner whispered, almost like it was wrong to say her name. “We’ll do her proud today, Bert.”

“Yeah…we will.” Bert gave him a crooked smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“So,” Reiner stood, “You ready to do this?”

Bert got up as well and gazed out at the night sky. They’d never done a mission this early in the morning before. That made things even more unpredictable than if this had been any other mission.

The stars twinkled down at him. The moon was almost full, already making its decent toward the horizon. Annie would have loved tonight. She would have told him stories about how her father had made a hobby of astrology and how he would spend nights with her mapping out the constellations. She would have been able to tell him what phase the moon was in and would have made him blush by saying that his eyes sparkled in its light.

He would have run his fingers over her cheek and thought to himself how she looked like a goddess in the pale light. He would have never been able to get the words out though. And they would have laid out on a blanket, with a jug of ice water by them, almost as if they were kids on a backyard camping trip on a cool summer night. And someday maybe they would have done more on a night like this, when the war was over and they were free to be wherever they wanted to be.

But that future was gone. It had been for some time now. And as he looked at the sky he couldn’t help but feel that familiar ache in his chest once more. He’d do this for her, for their families, for all those who had been lost and who had lost and felt this same ache.

“I’m ready when you are.”


	53. Operation Aurora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bert and Reiner's mission...more feels.

**-Operation Aurora-**

**-Location: Unknown-**

**-Northern Sina/Rose Border-**

**-June.18.2016-**

**-0256hrs-**

**-Clear-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy all missiles.-**

_____________________________

_It’s dark._

As soon as the thought had crossed his mind Reiner scolded himself. Of course it was dark; it was the middle of the fucking night for Christ’s sake. His eyes felt heavy and he wanted so badly to go to bed. Why had he volunteered for this again?

He didn’t really know. Perhaps he had a death wish? It was possible. He still felt the slightest hint of guilt over Annie’s death. How could he not? He had to look Bert in the face every day and see the pain that still lingered there. It tore at his heart and soul. They’d all been like family, Bert and her pushing towards being more. He’d ruined that.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. He had a mission to do, death wish or not. He’d been cleared; it would be fine.

_It’s dark._

As soon as the thought had crossed his mind Bert laughed to himself. Of course it was dark; it was nearly three in the morning after all. But for some reason he felt wide awake, just as he had for the rest of the night. He’d been cleared for duty, but he hadn’t been sleeping much at all ever since the incident. So why had he volunteered alongside Reiner?

He wasn’t exactly sure. Maybe he had a death wish? That was always a possibility. He still felt alone, that painful ache in his chest never wanting to leave him alone. And every time Reiner looked at him, he could see the pity in his eyes. They’d been like family once, he and Annie beginning to see something more. The Scarface Squadron had ruined that.

That would be the only thought in his mind. He had a mission to do and his anger would guide him. He’d been cleared; that didn’t mean it was fine.

_____________________________

Speeding through the night sky felt odd. It was new, almost exhilarating to experience. But it was dangerous and they both knew that. Radar was picking up a signature on one of the missiles just up ahead. It was time to take action.

“I got this one.” Reiner called out, only to realize as they got closer that it was not, in fact, one missile, but a small cluster of them. “Shit.”

“We got this.” Bert encouraged. “We know what we’re doing.”

And so they maneuvered to fall in behind the missiles. They sped back up and locked on, firing off multiple missiles of their own to blow them all up. Explosions filled the night sky and as they faded the northern lights lit up before them.

“More on radar behind us; let’s go.”

“We got enemy fighters, too.”

Hanji’s voice greeted them then. “Concentrate on the missiles. You have got to ignore the enemy fighters. The missiles are sixty miles and closing fast.”

This second cluster was larger. Some of them went down easy. Then suddenly, the cluster split.

“Shit!” Reiner yelled.

“You take left, I got right!” Bert hollered.

Reiner had trouble keeping up with his, they were going so fast, but he made due and maneuvered quickly. He fired as rapidly as he could.

Bert took care of his with ease. They weren’t going as fast for some reason and it struck him as odd.

Things only got weirder from there. “We’ve spotted another missile. It’s strange because there’s only one. It appears to be a normal warhead, but keep your distance and be careful.” Hanji informed them.

It was also strange because the enemy fighters had vanished. Something was definitely up.

They fell in alongside each other as they headed for the new target. This far north everything was icy below them. It was uninhabitable because it was quite literally just a giant block of ice. The glacier had been there for years and was, unfortunately, a wonderful place to use for this kind of military operations. Legion had learned that the hard way back at the war’s beginning. Now they kept a sharp eye on the place.

But it gave pilots the creeps. And tonight was no different for Reiner and Bertolt.

“You got visual yet?”

“No, you?”

“There it is!”

“Shit, its fast!”

“I’m locked on.”

“Damn it, it’s moving around! What the hell?”

“Fuck! It’s piloted remotely.”

“Just stay still for fucks sake!”

A missile finally hit its mark. A bright white light lit up the sky as it exploded, blinding both of them for a moment.

“Woo!” Hanji yelled over the com. “Did you see that!?”

They cheered some more, as Reiner and Bert cringed. They’d probably be partly deaf when they got back to the Rogue. “The landing forces extend their heartfelt thanks to you guys. Head on back.”

_____________________________

“You two did so well.” Krista praised as the two walked into the briefing room just as the sun began to rise.

“Yes.” Erwin agreed. “You did a great job. There was no unnecessary loss and we now have the northern border area secured.”

Things eased into a certain level of calm after that. People all headed back to their rooms for some extra shut eye, but Reiner and Bert just went to linger in the common room. Their eyes fell to the far wall.

It was the place that was designated for pictures of all those who had fallen from the Rogue’s ranks. A remembrance to their bravery and their life. Marco and Annie’s photo still stood out in the new frames, all shiny and fresh. They stood there staring at her picture, thoughts clouded over with grief, for quite some time. Long enough that they didn’t hear the footsteps approaching them.

“She’d be proud.” The voice startled them. They turned to face their squad leader with unshed tears filling their eyes. “She’d want to kick your asses for volunteering like that, but she’d be proud.”

Levi left it at that and exited the room. They both knew he was right and it brought small smiles to their faces. They each nodded their farewell and upon reaching their rooms, they slept. And it felt like it was the first time they had done so in forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thinking about posting more often so that I can have this completely up by New Years...
> 
> Let me know how you guys feel about that.


	54. Emancipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations for the final stretch in attacking Sina; The Wings of Freedom learn a bit about Levi's past.

**_As Legion advanced, the retreating Sina forces from the east filled our town. The AA gun crew took position atop the local hospital and Yellow Thirteen seethed with quiet anger over their tactics._ **

**_Nights grew long since the town had instated mandatory blackouts. The barkeep’s daughter tried to plant laser transmitters for detonating explosives._ **

**_She was caught…It was Yellow Thirteen who caught her._ **

**_He knew she was responsible for planting the bomb on their runway as well. The face of the enemy whom he hated belonged to someone so close to him._ **

**_“Get out of our town, you fascist pig!” Those were the words that left my mouth._ **

**_I’d never seen his face twist so painfully. “Do you hate us that much?”_ **

**_We couldn’t even nod or shake our heads in reply._ **

**_It felt like forever passed, but he finally spoke._ **

**_“Go!” It was all he said. So we ran._ **

**_The next day showed no change in his attitude. He made his requests to the squadron crew chief, as usual._ **

**_As soon as the Legion forces drew near, the resistance would end the blackouts of the city._ **

_____________________________

He stood there on the flight deck, gazing out at the vastness of the ocean. His thoughts were filled with how close they were to ending all of this. The war was moving further toward a Legion victory with each passing day. All of Legion’s forces were hard at work, pressing further and further with each passing week. They were on the verge of the Sina border, having taken back almost all of Rose’s territory.

And it was a grand feeling.

They had celebrated just a few days prior. Had all gathered in the commons room, even Chief Smith had been there, and, of course, Hanji had broke out the booze. Erwin had been put on a strict watch to make sure he stayed out of it. Levi was the one who had said, “Best way to keep a recovering alcoholic from falling back on old habits is to never let them touch the stuff again.”

How could you argue with that?

Other than that, things had been quiet. Which was part of the reason Eren was watching the waves now, just existing in the salty air with a light breeze rustling his hair. He knew it wouldn’t last and he was proved correct when Levi called out to him from the doorway. They were all wanted in the briefing room.

He positioned himself at the back of the room, right next to Levi, when he came in. Erwin acknowledged he was there and began.

“At the beginning of the First War of the Three Sisters, Mitras somehow managed to remain neutral, but they were soon occupied by Sina forces. We need to liberate them.”

This was where Hanji took over. “After careful analysis, we have determined that we will have the heaviest resistance from the tank battalion on Route seven in the Old Towne sector and from the anti-tank helicopters that are around the New City sector’s government complex. But that’s not all. You will also have to defend the allies we have in the city from air strikes that might originate from the old airport to your rear. The Resistance fighters plan to end the blackout over the city when we arrive. So you will all be going in order to suppress enemy resistance so we can help to liberate the city.”

“This will be one of your biggest missions yet.” Erwin added. “In order to provide proper support for all of you, Mike will be going up alongside Hanji. I want you all to be careful. Get plenty of rest. Tonight we take back Mitras.”

_____________________________

“Anyone ever been to Mitras?” Connie asked when they got to the commons room after being dismissed.

“I think my parents honeymooned there.” Krista chirped. “Or maybe that was some other place?”

“I’ve heard the place is huge.” Ymir commented.

Sasha shook her head. “No way. It can’t be that big, I heard it was one of the poorer cities in Sina.”

Someone laughed. “No town in Sina is poor by most standards!” Jean yelled from across the room.

“You know what I don’t understand?”

“What Reiner?”

“How an area so filled with sand can be so prosperous? I mean Sina is like seventy percent desert right?”

“Wrong.” Everyone turned to look at Levi who had now joined the conversation.

“Have you been there, sir?” Krista asked.

Other than Eren, none of them really knew much about Levi’s past. They would listen with rapt attention any time it seemed as though he was about to give something up.

“I have.” He kept it short, doing what he always did: withholding.

“Are you going to tell us anything about the place?” Jean asked cautiously, flinching in case he got hit.

Levi took a swig of his drink, swirling it around in the glass as he contemplated his next move. “I was born there.” He paused, but no one seemed to be reacting. That in itself was a reaction though. They had all frozen, stopped breathing too apparently, at his words. Even Eren was standing frozen, staring at him from across the room with obvious shock on his face.

This was something he hadn’t done with his old squad, spoke of his past life. He regretted it to an extent, so he continued. “My mother was the daughter of a once well off family that had fallen to ruin. She was alone, so she sold herself. I never knew my father because of that.”

He got up and poured himself a stronger drink. Everyone had now moved, placing chairs in a semi-circle in front of the chair Levi had chosen to sit in. Eren still hung back though, leaning against the wall and just watching it all happen with wide eyes.

“I don’t know much about them, only that I had two uncles.” He glanced at Mikasa. “One’s dead now, the other still in Sina.” He took another drink.

“It’s a dirty place, Sina. The wars have eaten away at it like maggots on a carcass. Most of it is slums. Only those in charge live the luxurious life that most of Sina once lived in.” Another drink. “Now they capture children, take them from their mother’s arms, and train them to fight in a most horrific way. No one, of any age, should be subjected to the tortures they put those kids through.”

He finished off his drink, looking to Eren who gave a small smile. “Most of Sina isn’t a desert, though I would imagine the once beautiful landscape is even more battle worn than it was last time I was there. It’s only desert near the border and in the Mitras area. But I think that’s enough for today. You should all get some sleep.” He rose from his seat and began to walk for the door.

“Thank you.” He paused in his steps. Turning he found it was Ymir who was talking to him. “Thank you for telling us when you didn’t have to.”

He gave her a nod and headed on. He was tired now. That had taken a lot out of him. Eren could tell. He had to have been able to tell. Why else would he have followed Levi back to their room and helped him to the shower? They washed slowly under the hot stream of water, soaking in the way it made their muscles relax. Then they crawled into bed, warm in their cocoon.

They’d need all the rest they could get.


	55. Operation Firefly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of Mitras.

**-Operation Firefly-**

**-Location: Mitras-**

**-Just North of the Central Sina/Rose Border-**

**-July.10.2016-**

**-0000hrs-**

**-Cloudy-**

**-Mission Objective: Liberate the city.-**

_____________________________

Levi was thankful there was no fog on a night like this. All the clouds were high in the sky. This was both a curse and a blessing. On one hand it meant they were hidden from being so easily spotted against the stars or shining in the moonlight. On the other hand it meant they had little to help them see in terms of natural light.

Hopefully the blackout would end soon and they would be able to make out everything they needed to in the city below.

As if hearing his thoughts, Hanji came onto the coms. “The Resistance just ended the blackout.” The city lit up below them in brilliant colors. Skyscrapers and apartment complexes, shipping yards, everything began to glow in yellow lights.

The mission had begun. They had three objects, meaning they would split into three groups. One group (Krista, Reiner, and Jean) would head for the New Towne sector and handle things there until the others could arrive. Group two (himself, Mikasa, and Sasha) would take Old Towne. And group three (Eren, Connie, and Bert) would head for the airport.

Levi’s first target was a tank on the city streets below. It never knew he was there. For a brief moment as he was low, he caught site of the yellow stripe on a low flying enemy jet, but not the number upon it. Scarface had come out to play. He took them out easily, almost as if it had presented itself to be killed. None of these Yellows flew with the precision of a true Scarface member. Surely they were not piloted by anyone he had known.

More tanks fell to enemy missiles. Several AA guns situated atop the larger buildings exploded in the darkness.

“We’ve secured the arch on Route seven.” Reiner called out, letting everyone know that things were going well in their part of the city.

“Old Towne secure.” Levi radioed in. “Send in the Alpha squad to hold while we move on.”

The airport was where they headed from there. Several Yellows were encountered as they got in close. He saw Eren take one out as he flew in. While Eren’s group focused on the skies, Levi and his began to take out hangars on the ground as well as missile launching ground facilities. Mikasa took out the control tower and then they all headed to the skies to help with the enemy fighters.

More Yellows fell and finally the airport appeared to be in shambles. Everyone headed for New Towne. More tanks greeted them and they now had to watch out for the skyscrapers.

“Watch out for the choppers hugging the government building.” Krista reported.

Most of the choppers went down fairly easy though. They just couldn’t maneuver like a jet could.

Mike’s voice suddenly came over the coms sounding urgent. “We got multiple Tee-you-one-sixties inbound for New Towne from the northwest. Get rid of them now!”

“Holy fuck!” Eren yelled. “They’re gonna flatten the whole city!”

And he was right. TU-160’s were bombers. And not just any bombers, they were supersonic ones and they took three missile shots to take out even though they were unarmed. This was serious business. Fast, deadly, and armored; a terrible mix.

And Levi was headed straight for them. He had visual now, but he had to get behind them and fast. His jet was much slower than them, but he was quick to fire on all of them. Thankfully he didn’t miss. All six went up in flames.

Mitras had been liberated.

_____________________________

“This was not only a strategic victory, it was a symbolic one.” Erwin announced back on the Rogue. They had docked up a river that was deep enough to house them and keep them close to the city. “It’s dark out still, and we might not be right on top of the city, but if you step outside, you can hear them cheering.”

They all headed straight for the flight deck to see if it was true. Sure enough when everyone stood silent and unmoving you could just make it out.

It was a beautiful noise, rising into the night sky and spiraling in the wind. These people had been freed, their prayers answered. They had all done that. They had been a part of something great, something truly worthwhile.

It made their chests ache and their stomachs churn. Warmth spread throughout their bones. Krista cried, she didn’t know what else to do with the overload of emotion that swept over her. Ymir tugged her close and embraced her, tears pricking her eyes as well. Bert smiled a smile so bright Reiner was sure it would light up the night sky.

Erwin stood silently, eyes to the sky, breathing in the air filled with joy. Reiner fell to his knees, arms open wide and closed his eyes; he sent up a thankful prayer. Connie and Sasha held hands, staring into the distance were the city lights glowed with happy smiles pushing at their lips.

In a fit of joyous outburst, Hanji shouted at the sky, whooping and cheering along with the city’s inhabitants. She was soon joined by the others, each of them calling out into the night. But back just a ways Levi stood with Eren, a small smile upon his face as well.

And perhaps the most passionate of all the reactions, Eren kissed him beneath a now clear sky.

For once everything seemed perfect. Victory had been had. A city liberated, a people freed. The war would be over soon. They could all feel it. It wouldn’t be much longer.

Oh, what a day that would be.


	56. Kyojin Corridor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Eren thinks too much when missions are going on.

**_Singing…_ **

**_At last the town was free._ **

**_During the night raids, the AA gunners had strafed the town in an attempt to shoot down low flying aircraft. Now the town militia rounded them up._ **

**_“They” retreated as well, and now their quarters sat empty._ **

**_After what seemed like so long an absence, Legion jets soared overhead once more._ **

**_I wondered if the fateful enemy ace, the one Yellow Thirteen spoke of and longed to see, was among them._ **

**_What would happen if they ever came face to face?_ **

**_I fell in with the retreating Sina forces and followed after the Scarface Squadron._ **

_____________________________

The Rogue had been back at sea for some time now. Legion’s land forces had secured the border between Rose and Sina. But that wasn’t good enough. The enemy had to be taught a lesson, had to be truly put out of commission before the war could end. And Titan still loomed as a possible threat on the horizon. If it were finished before Legion could take it, Sina would win.

No one wanted that. They’d come too far for something like that.

The flight deck was rather soothing at times when it wasn’t bustling with activity in prep for a mission. Eren had found himself standing upon it often over the last month or so. There was much on his mind, stemming from the conversation he’d had with Mikasa and Armin a while back.

He hadn’t broached the topic with Levi. He wasn’t sure how Levi would react, if he would react at all. But he was genuinely curious and worried about it. The war was coming to an end and they didn’t really know anything else besides this lifestyle. Most of their lives all they’d known was regiment and blood and death; order and commands; missions and fighting.

What kind of life was that? How were they supposed to live on when it ended? Their normal was not something that functioned in the world without war. Would Levi still love him? Would he still love Levi?

There were so many questions, so many things to be left to chance. It had Eren fifty kinds of stressed out. But if everything did work after the war ended, if they found some way to move on, to be normal to the public’s standards, Eren really just wanted to know if Levi would want a family with him. There would be plenty of kids, as unfortunate as it was, who had been displaced and orphaned by the war. They’d need someone to take them in and Eren would be more than willing, but Levi needed to agree to it as well. They were life partners after all.

He stared off into the distance, watching the waves roll, unaware of the eyes upon him. Levi stood a ways off, leaning against the column which held up the upper deck area. He’d been watching Eren for a while. It was obvious to him that something was troubling Eren. He just hoped that he would come and talk it out sooner rather than later. A troubled mind was in no condition to fly, Levi knew that much. And while it wasn’t affecting Eren yet, if left alone, Levi knew that it would turn into a distraction quickly.

_____________________________

They found themselves in the briefing room later. It was time to make the next move. As they spoke the Rogue was moving into position.

Hanji started them off with a map. It showed the area around the border of Sina and Rose. “This,” She pointed to a tan area on the map, “Is the Kyojin Corridor; a desert valley that lies between the Shina and Tabal Mountain ranges. It’s a rather narrow strip and the enemy has a large tank force deployed there as a final line of defense near the border.”

“Our allies are outnumbered.” Erwin continued. “But the enemy must be faced head on if we want to advance to the Sina capital of Stohess. The expected casualty rate is extremely high. We’re gonna need a miracle in air support for the battle to be a success. That means taking out enemy ground forces and providing direct close air support to Legion and Resistance troops.”

Levi vaguely recalled flying through the Kyojin Corridor once or twice. He’d been there on foot before as well. It was hot, intensely hot. It never rained because the mountains blocked storms from getting in. It was frustrating to travel there because the ground had two extremes: hard, cracked dirt or sand that most vehicles just got stuck in. It wasn’t uncommon for tanks and guns to just break and stop working from the heat.

It was also home to one of the few craters where a piece of the Delta asteroid wasn’t shot down. Amazingly, it’s situated in the exact center of the valley. It’s possible that other craters are there, but they must not have been as deep, so the sand has since hidden them away. He could remember people talking about some cult that would go to the valley and pray before the crater in hopes of the god who made the asteroid fall hearing them. Everyone thought they were nuts. Levi wondered if they were still there.

To some he might have appeared to be deep in thought, but he was quite aware actually. This is why he didn’t fail to notice Eren walking by. He reached out, snatching his arm. “You okay?” he asked when Eren looked at him.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Don’t know. You just seem a bit out of it lately.”

“Well, I’m fine.”

“I know you got things on your mind. But don’t let it cloud your head.”

Eren just watched him walk away with a blank face.


	57. Operation Sandstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missions and breakdowns.

**-Operation Sandstorm-**

**-Location: Kyojin Corridor-**

**-Just North of the Southern Sina/Rose Border-**

**-August.15.2016-**

**-1145hrs-**

**-Sandy-**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy enemy ground forces and provide air support for allied troops.-**

_____________________________

Breaking over the Tabil Mountains all the eye could see was more mountains in the distance and a vastness of sandy colored terrain. In the center of it all was a grayed area that was the crater. The wind picked up as they entered the valley, causing sand to fly into the air. It wasn’t sandstorm material, but it made it harder to see.

“This outta be interesting.” Reiner commented over the coms.

And he was right. They’d never flow in sand before.

A few lone tanks stood out as they headed for the main clusters of enemy forces. They took care of them in quick flyovers.

When they reached one of the enemy clusters it was obvious they’d been there a while. They had tents set up and fences. They had even created trails from where their vehicles had travelled most often. It was all destroyed by Legion missiles.

Tanks began to scatter, trying to get away. It wasn’t gonna happen. Bombs were dropped over the makeshift facilities below. As if the desert wasn’t hot enough without all the flames and explosions. A few enemy fighter jets entered the valley airspace, trying to provide air support for their ground forces.

It was a failed effort; they fell as easily as anything else before Legion.

Enemy forces were scattered at random throughout the valley. It made for some interesting flying maneuvers. Most of the scattered stuff was quick and easy to take out though, so the Freedom squad left it to the other squads who were flying with them.

Levi directed the squad toward the main defensive line. Tanks grouped together got bombs dropped on them. Enemy jets were scattered and distracted, then taken out by a fellow pilot in their confusion.

“I gotta head back to re-arm!” Connie shouted, his jet heading back toward the mountains they entered the valley from. Several others called out the same thing and headed back with him.

“Their defensive line in crumbling. Keep it up.” Hanji reported in.

More tanks exploded under Levi. Tents burst into flames as flying, flaming debris landed too close. It was basically a slaughter, but Sina had brought it upon themselves.

They had made the choice to wreak havoc and mass destruction upon their neighbors. Now they would reap what they’d sown. The Freedom Squad descended like grim reapers upon them. All that was left were the stragglers: a few scattered enemy fighters and fleeing tanks, joined by some ground troops who had all positioned themselves together. They fell like dominoes, each one after the other.

“Sky-Eye here! What is left of the enemy is retreating. Our troops are advancing. Mission complete.”

_____________________________

“That seemed way too easy.” Sasha commented as they all headed to be debriefed.

“I think they’ve given up at this point.” Jean said.

“Their moral is broken. Low moral always makes for a weak defense.” Bert pointed out.

“So what can you tell us, Chief?” Reiner asked when they were all in the room.

Erwin gave a small laugh. “They’ve abandoned their defensive line. This leaves the road to Stohess wide open. But we still have some major planning to do and ground to cover before we get there. You should all have some down time for a while. Enjoy it while you can.”

_____________________________

“Eren?” Levi kept his voice quiet. His husband was upset in such a way as Levi had never encountered before. This Eren was completely new and he didn’t know what to do in order to handle it. A picture frame was thrown at his head. He ducked just in time to avoid being hit.

“Eren, please. Calm down. Talk to me.” Levi tried.

Eren let out a growl and swung his arm, knocking everything clear off the wall in front of him. “I don’t want to talk!” He yelled. “I’m fine and you just need to leave me alone!”

“Let me help, Eren. I can help.”

“No! No you can’t!” He stormed into the connected bathroom. Levi made to follow him, but received a bunch of towels to his face; then came the toothpaste and the toothbrushes. Eren also threw the dirty laundry out the door before he came barreling back into the bedroom, pushing Levi out of the way.

“You can’t do anything!” Eren screamed again, shoving at Levi this time until he was out the door. He promptly slammed the door in Levis’ face, narrowly missing smashing his nose. Levi stared at the door in shock for some time. He just might have to recruit some help for this one.

So without further ado, he turned and headed off to find Mikasa and Armin. Surely they had some idea of what was going on.


	58. Worries & Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi discovers what is bothering Eren.

Levi found Mikasa and Armin on the flight deck. The two of them seemed to be talking lowly and enjoying the way the sun reflected off the water as it got lower in the sky. Any other time Levi would have let them be, but he had an important matter to deal with.

He walked right up to them and spoke with complete finesse. “Spill.”

One word and it had them looking utterly confused. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about?” Armin asked.

“Eren.” Levi used as an explanation.

“What about him?” Mikasa questioned in return.

Levi rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this. Surely one of you knows what’s up with him. He’d been acting weird for a while now. So spill.”

The two looked at each other, still not seeming to comprehend what could possibly be the issue here. But then it hit Armin like a slap in the face. “Oh…oh my.”

“What?” Levi spit.

“I hadn’t thought anything of it. I didn’t realize it would bother him that much. I should have known though.”

“What is it, Armin?”

“The conversation we had a while back. You know the one, Mikasa. Eren actually brought it all up. He wanted to know what we all planned to do when the war was over.”

“Oh sweet mother of… that can’t have been bothering him this whole time. It was two months ago.” Mikasa argued.

“What are you two going on about? Someone explain this.” Levi was getting impatient. “What does a question about what you all have planned for after the war have to do with why Eren is currently locked in our room freaking out? Throwing things at me I might add.”

“Should we tell him?” Mikasa asked Armin.

“Obviously Eren isn’t willing to talk about it and Levi deserves to know something.”

“Fine. You do it. I want no part of this.” Mikasa headed back inside after that, leaving Armin and Levi alone on the flight deck.

“Well?”

“He’s worried.”

“About what?”

“About what lies ahead for the two of you when this all ends.” Armin began. “I’m assuming you’ve told him everything in regards to whatever guarded past you have. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Well,” Armin continued, “He fears you won’t adjust well to a society not driven by war; that your relationship will fall apart when this is all over. We tried to assure him that wouldn’t happen unless you both let it. Then Mikasa brought up kids.”

“She just had to bring it up. We’ve both known that has Eren wanted that kind of thing since…forever. He’s scared you don’t or wouldn’t want anything to do with kids, that you’d think you’d be a shitty dad. The fact that things finally seemed to be wrapping up must have him in a panic. That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”

Levi’s mind was now filled with thoughts. Were these really the things that were bothering Eren? “Thank you, Armin.” Levi left him then, lost in his own thoughts.

He wandered back toward his and Eren’s room, hoping that Eren was still inside. The door was still closed when he got there. The sound of faint crying could be heard when he leaned his head against it.

“Eren.” He called out. “Can I come in?” He received no response, so he tried the door. In his rage Eren had forgotten to lock it. He opened it slowly, peeking in to see where Eren was.

He was laid out on the bed, face pressed into the pillows as he sniffled. He quietly stepped in, shutting the door behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed, seeing Eren shift away as he felt the mattress dip.

There was a beat of silence before Levi spoke. “I talked to Armin and Mikasa.” Eren remained silent still. “I’m not going to leave you when the war ends.” He could hear Eren’s breath hitch. “We aren’t going to fall apart. We’ll be fine, you and I.” He shifted to get close to him, to look at him even if it was only his back.

“When this is over, Eren…whatever you want…it’s yours.” Eren peeked out from the pillow his face was buried in. “You want to disappear from this place, move to another continent…then we do it. If you want to stay here…then we do that instead. If you want a house with flowers out front and a park across the street…then we buy one. You want kids…then we adopt a shit ton of little brats and you take care of them while I spoil them to high heaven and teach them to curse like a sailor. Anything Eren…I’d give you the world if you asked for it.”

Levi was tackled in a bone crushing hug, sandwiched between the softness of their mattress and the heat of his husband. Tears were staining his shirt, but he didn’t really care. As long as Eren felt better. That’s all that mattered.

“I guess I don’t say it enough.” Levi’s voice was muffled by Eren’s shoulder. “But I love you. You should know that.”

Eren drew him into a kiss and tugged him closer. “I love you too.” He sobbed out.

They stayed like that a while longer, until Levi couldn’t stand it any longer. “Now, would you get off me and stop over thinking things. I’d like to have my husband back.”

“Of course, Levi. Of course.”


	59. Seige of Stohess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys!! It's so close to being over!

The time had finally come. Extensive amounts of planning had gone into the battle plan that was to be gone over in the mission briefing on the morning of September fifth. Exactly one year’s time since that first mission they had all been briefed together on; it didn’t seem that long ago.

Hanji had woken them all up, a party hat atop their head and a whistle in their mouth. They were excited, looking forward to another success on their birthday. They’d gathered everyone in the common room to have cake for breakfast and share stories of their most memorable moments from the last year.

It all seemed rather bitter sweet, because they knew that come later that day there was a high chance some of them wouldn’t be coming back to the Rogue. Such thoughts led them to remember their already fallen comrades.

“I love you guys, ya know.” Jean suddenly blurted out.

“Oh, no. Please, don’t cry.” Reiner begged.

“But it’s true. You’re all pretty awesome.” Next thing they knew Jean had awkwardly pulled half of them into a group hug and he was sobbing like a child. He was soon joined by Hanji and Krista, as they began to cry too. It was as if everyone was washed over by a wave of emotion after that. They all got teary eyed, noses beginning to run.

“We’ll be fine.” Someone said. “We’ll all see each other when this is over. We got this.”

They stayed together until it was time for the briefing. And when they headed through the halls to the briefing room they did it with interlinked arms.

Erwin stood at the front of the room. For the first time in years he was actually wearing his full uniform, a dashing blue suit with the markers of his rank and honors spread across the front with a matching hat atop his head.

“There is no easy way to say this. We’ve worked hard and there are chances that we will lose comrades today. But this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for; a chance to end this war. Hanji, would you?”

“Of course!” They stepped forward and began to explain the plan. “The enemy’s headquarters is beneath a landfill that sits on the coast of their capital, Stohess. If we bring it under control we end the war for good.”

The map of the city that was on the screen shifted and zoomed in. “This is the southeast part of the city; part of it is currently flooded. But we have troops who will be coming in via this bridge, the Silver Bridge. Enemy tanks will be coming in from the north. We will need to destroy this bridge, the Fritz Memorial Bridge, in order to keep that from happening. They cannot be allowed to join with the forces at the HQ.”

“Thank you, Hanji.” Erwin said. “There is one more important thing that we need to go over. Titan is still being developed as we speak. If any of the enemy escape Stohess, we run the risk of it being able to be used against us as a last ditch effort when it is finished. Don’t let that happen if you can help it. Be ready to go in four hours.”

Everyone left to get ready after Erwin’s closing comments. They walked in a single file line up to the flight deck so they could run through flight checks and make sure their jets were ready to go. Levi caught Hanji humming the tune of the Happy Birthday song to themself. He shook his head and commented, “We’ll celebrate like old times when this mission is over.”

Hanji froze, coming to a complete stop in the hallway as everyone continued on. Levi paused with them though, giving them a confused look. “Do you really mean that?” They asked, their eyes sparkling.

“Do I typically say things I don’t mean, shit for brains?”

A big smile lit up their face and they looked at him. “Thank you, Levi.” For once they didn’t yell it out and try to hug him. They just looked so happy, like it meant the world to them, but they kept it from bursting out. He let out a sigh and rubbed at his temple. He was going to regret this later.

He held his arms out. “Come here.” He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for what he expected to be a bone crushing hug. But it never came. Instead Hanji gently wrapped him in their arms and gave him the kind of hug you give an old friend you haven’t seen in a while. It shocked him, but he ended up reacting in kind until he couldn’t take it any longer. At which point he began to claw at them and complain, finally managing to wiggle his way from their grasp.

“Go get ready.” He said. “I don’t want to be stuck in the air without your nasty voice in my ear the whole time.” The venom never made it into his words.

“And Hanji!” He called back to them. “Let me know what you want as your present.” Then he left for the flight deck.

Eren was waiting for him there.

“This is it.” He said as Levi approached.

“Yeah. I suppose it is.”

They shared a kiss, making sure to act as though it may have been the last.


	60. Kenny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title is self explanatory.

It was as if he were burnt out. He was truly tired of it all. The years had taken their toll; the constant death of those close to him had finally caught up. He wished it was over now, or that he could go back in time. Go back to a time when he had been a hero, not a dog, not a bastard who trained children to fight and who pushed people away.

God, what he wouldn’t give to have that all back.

Kenny had been younger then, back in 1985. He’d been no older than twenty-seven and he’d been full of destruction and chaos.

He’d run away from home at sixteen with a band of friends; left behind a little sister, an older brother, and two parents who only saw him as a delinquent middle child.

He’d been sick of that life. At least his buddies cared. They got into some deep shit over the course of the next few years. Those so called friends deserted him, but he made his own way, knife in hand. It got him into plenty of trouble.

Then one day all that trouble paid off. He’d made a reputation for himself, that he knew. But never once had he expected to be approached and offered money for his services. Mercenary he would come to call himself. He quite liked the title. Built up his own little army of men, too. All skilled like he was.

Then the commander of the Federation of Central Sina’s Army showed up on his doorstep one evening in 1985. They wanted to hire a group of mercs to defeat some rebels who’d taken over the government so they could restore someone legitimate. Kenny had agreed.

The army gave them new skills, taught them how to fly.

Kenny had never felt so free. There was something about being up there, way up in the sky that just took his breath away. He loved every minute of it.

They used those new skills to take out all the rebels and destroy their main base, an air ship just off the coast. They called themselves the Scarface squadron, after the mercenary who had been in charge’s nickname.

They disbanded after it was over, but Kenny knew how to fly.

He stole a jet. He hid it away, learned everything he could about it. Modified it, flew it, and crashed it in the end.

He mourned the loss.

Then a small scale civil war broke out in Sina and the Scarface squadron was requested to be brought back together.

That was when Kenny knew it was his time to shine. They helped destroy the rebels and restore power. They became heroes to the people of Sina. Kenny was given medals.

He returned home that year. His only desire to shove his success in his family’s face.

When he got there he learned that his older brother had gotten married to someone who his family despised, an oriental girl, and had run off to Maria with her. His father was long since dead; a heart attack his sister told him. His mother, in her grief, had gone insane. She was locked away within the depths of an asylum to the south of town. And his sister, his dear little Kutchel, well…she had grown up. And there in her arms was a little boy.

The father was unknown.

With her brother’s and parents gone from her life, she’d turned to prostitution for money.

Kenny stole her away after that. He had no way of knowing that in the years to follow things would become bad in Sina. No way of knowing that his title as mercenary would return. He had no way of knowing that they would take children at the age of six and begin to train them as soldiers. No way of knowing a plague would hit and take his sister with it. He had no way of knowing that he would have to force his nephew into that life.

Some part of him had hoped that it would end before the boy came of age. He had thought on some level of getting them out of Sina, as dangerous as it was to flee. But he had never gone through with it and his only remaining family had paid the price.

For that he could never forgive himself.

And now look where he was. The head of the Scarface squad taking place in a war he no longer wished to fight in. It was quite pointless now.

He could only hope for one thing really: to be shot down by enemy forces.

But if that were to happen, it was only right that his nephew was the one to do it.

Retribution needed to be had and only Levi could hand it out.


	61. Operation Autumn Thunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time coming.

**-Operation Autumn Thunder-**

**-Location: Stohess-**

**-North Western Sina Territory -**

**-Sept.5.2016-**

**-1820hrs-**

**-Clear -**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy enemy forces and support Legion ground troops.-**

_____________________________

“Stay focused on the mission, the outcome of the war rests on your shoulders.” Hanji informed them as they drew closer to the city. “We need you all to survive. Good luck to you all! And Levi, ending this war would be a wonderful birthday present as well.”

He heard them loud and clear.

They met the first of the enemy forces four miles from the city. A series of enemy fighters awaited them. But they were no real match for the pilots of the Freedom squad. They chased them back toward the city, blowing them up above the harbor’s waters.

Levi headed straight for the Fritz Memorial Bridge when he came over the city. There were already tanks upon it when he got there. He had to focus on taking them out, along with the battleship that was in the river beneath it, before he could even think about blowing the bridge. It wasn’t exactly an easy task with them all shooting at him constantly, but he made it look simple.

Two well placed missiles and the bridge was collapsing. Beams broke and pulled down at odd angles as they fell to the river below. Chunks of asphalt from the road made the waters churn, tanks fell in that had still been on the bridge when it collapsed.

_____________________________

Eren watched as a battleship exploded beneath him. Things were getting crazy over the skies of Stohess, but he felt calm as could be. He was focusing on giving support to the troops entering in via the Silver Bridge. There was a large amount of enemy tanks that were trying to keep Legion forces at bay and several ships were stationed in the river as well.

The ships were being the biggest pain in his ass at the moment, they were using the bridge as partial cover and there wasn’t enough clearance for him to risk flying too low. He’d never make it under the bridge if he tried. He was trying to play it safe.

He had just managed to take out one of the major guns on the largest of the battleships when the coms went wild.

“We got a problem! The enemy leaders have choppers and are escaping from the HQ!” One of the ground force operatives patched in to announce.

“Someone pursue those choppers!” Hanji ordered. The only problem was that everyone was wrapped up in the main objectives. There were just too many enemy forces to be able to risk going after the leaders at that moment. Eren hoped that someone was able to break off and go after them, because he certainly couldn’t. If Titan became operable…Eren didn’t want to think about that, didn’t need to think about that at a time like this.

He put his head back where it needed to be and dodged an oncoming tank projectile. He took out enough of the remaining tanks to allow the troops safe passage over the bridge and then headed toward the landfill.

_____________________________

The minute he heard the emergency alarm go off, Levi knew what Hanji was about to tell them.

“We have five aircraft closing in at high speeds. It’s Scarface.” They said calmly. “Guess they decided to give it one last go. Took ‘em long enough. Don’t worry about the choppers. Settle this once and for all. You can end this.”

Levi saw the rest of his squad begin to fall into formation around him, having all gathered from their parts of the city. Scarface was outnumbered and outmaneuvered. Kenny would have to know that. And even if Kenny was there among the remaining of his squad, Levi knew that Kenny knew there was no longer any point to all this.

He wasn’t sure how, he just had a feeling deep in his bones. He remembered the look in Kenny’s eyes years ago. He’d been tired then, but hadn’t had a way out. Levi could only imagine how he must have felt now. Today would be the decider. Would Kenny go down without a fight or would he make Levi work for it?

As they drew closer on the radar, Levi readied himself for both possibilities. But of one thing he was certain: he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Kenny from the sky, not anymore.

They finally had visual; five little specks in the distance that grew bigger rather quickly. He could hear Kenny talking to them now. _Stay together. Don’t break formation, no theatrics._

He could see his squad holding their own incredibly well.

The first Yellow fell to Ymir.

Bert took a hard hit from enemy guns, but kept going.

Reiner flew through to back him up.

The second fell to Mikasa.

Eren shot high into the sky and nose dived toward them all; a third Yellow fell.

One of Jean’s engines went up in smoke, forcing him to eject as his jet went down.

Krista made sure he parachuted without being hit.

Connie and Sasha tag teamed the fourth Yellow, taking him out together.

That left only one; the number thirteen staring mockingly at Levi from its form. He saw the others trying to go after it, but he stopped them. “This one’s mine.” He told them. “Disperse from the area. I’ll handle it.”

They’d understand. He’d made it a point ever since he had begun to talk to them about his past to let them know everything of importance, though he had discussed some things more in depth with Mikasa in private. They knew he had been on the Scarface squadron once. They knew this was his fight.

“Be careful.” Eren’s voice whispered before the coms went dead.

He watched as Kenny just circled as his squad vanished from the area. Levi wondered if Kenny still used that same com frequency, so he gave it a go and flipped through until he reached it.

“You there, ya old bastard?” The two jets circled around in the sky.

A rough chuckle greeted his ears. “Should’ve known you’d remember, pipsqueak.”

“Any last words before I blast you outta the sky?”

“Straight to the point as always. Might as well get it all off my chest.” And so Kenny launched into his little monologue about how he never wanted any of this for Levi. He told him of how he’d underestimated the war. He apologized for everything Levi had been through, put all the blame for it on his shoulders. “I want you to line up your shot. I’m not gonna fight this. I know it’s my time, boy. Do what you have to do.” Kenny finished.

Levi felt troubled over having to do this now that Kenny was done talking. But it was time, Kenny recognized that, had outright said it. He was ready for it to be over, for his way out of it all. Better to die in action than to be held prisoner for war crimes.

So Levi lined up his shot. He stopped circling and headed off a ways, then turned back around and lined up. He locked onto Kenny’s jet and when he was close enough, he did it. He squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his jaw, and with fucking tears in his eyes he pressed fire twice.

Kenny’s voice came through one last time. “I’m proud of you.” Then static filled his ears and he watched as Yellow Thirteen plummeted to the ground, fire beginning to consume it before it finally exploded.


	62. Regret Or Something Like It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi struggles with Kenny's death and fuck Erwin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this tagged for past eruri, but it has only ever been mentioned in passing. Just a warning that it comes back into play for this chapter. Enjoy!

Levi had turned back to his proper com frequency after shooting down Kenny, but it was nothing more than a blur.

Hanji had come on saying the last of the aircraft had been shot down, that air superiority was Legion’s. He was pretty sure there had been other things said, but he was numb. He vaguely remembered, after landing and exiting his jet on the nearby Rogue, the sound of ground troops using megaphones to send orders for surrender to the Sina forces.

“Attention all EF-SEE-ES troops! Cease fighting and surrender at the following locations: The central park tennis courts, the National Library’s courtyard fountain-”

He later learned, along with the others, that the FCS’s top leader had been shot before even being able to get into his chopper. His family had been inside the chopper trying to hide.

He knows he was led to the briefing room a few hours later by Eren where Erwin told them that Sina had accepted Legions terms for surrender. He did remember Erwin saying they had lost a lot of men though.

Despite how numb he felt, he had a promise to keep.

True to his word he gathered everyone to celebrate Hanji’s birthday. Someone had managed to find an intact bakery in Stohess, the owners of which had been more than grateful to offer up plenty of cake for the event. It all went on around Levi in a blur though. He went through the motions; laughing when others did, drinking and eating with them, but he didn’t actually feel anything as he did.

It grew late, yet Levi was not tired. The party dispersed and Eren led him back to their room. Kenny’s words played over in his head a thousand times that night. He questioned his actions.

Should he have let Kenny go? Should he have truly shot him down? He might have been able to help Kenny escape or get out of prison early. What if he could have argued in his favor to the court? Gotten most of the charges dropped? Had there been another way besides this?

He didn’t sleep at all; too afraid of seeing Kenny’s face when he closed his eyes. He got out of bed before Eren woke, not bothering to change or shower. He went straight to Erwin’s office and his adjoining quarters. He wasn’t really sure why he headed there as he was walking. He just knew he needed to go there.

He didn’t bother to knock. He just opened the door to the office and when he found Erwin wasn’t there he barged through the door to the bedroom. Erwin was still in bed, but he roused when the door slammed open. He squinted and was just able to make out Levi’s disheveled figure.

“What time is it?” He groaned, rolling to look at his watch on the bedside table. Levi said nothing, simply stood there. Erwin stared at him for a moment before he sensed that something was off. He clicked on a lamp and truly took in Levi.

Red rimmed eyes that looked lost, dark bags beneath them; hair a completely askew mess, with a large cowlick on the left side. Levi was still wearing most of yesterday’s uniform, but it was rumpled and dirty. His feet were bare and he looked absolutely awful.

“Levi.” Erwin spoke softly. “What’s troubling you?”

Levi finally looked up from where his gaze had settled on the far wall. “I have finally killed the man I have blamed my entire life’s misery on, so why do I feel like such a piece of shit?”

Erwin sighed. “Levi…This has been heavy on your heart for years, but it was still the life of a man. One who was family no less. Of course you’re going to feel like shit.”

“He _apologized_.” Levi said it as though it was the most outlandish thing to ever cross his mind. And in a way it was. He had never once considered that Kenny regretted his actions; that he blamed himself for everything that had happened. “He said it was his fault and that he was sorry.” Levi let it all out. Told Erwin exactly what Kenny had said.

“And then, damn him for it!” Levi screamed. “He went and told me he was proud of me just before the missiles hit.” He punched the wall, not feeling the skin give and bleed afterwards. “I hate him, damn it. I hate him so much!” He cried.

Erwin was on his feet now. Levi was lashing out at anything within reach. He tried to claw at Erwin too, but Erwin got him from behind and wrapped his arms around him tightly, not letting him harm himself in any further way. “You need to calm down, Levi.”

“Fuck you! I don’t need to do anything but hate him!”

“Listen to me Levi.” Erwin said sternly. Levi only struggled all the more. This was ridiculous. “Stop acting like a child!”

But Levi just thrashed about in Erwin’s arms, kicking and screaming as though he were a brat about to be punished. Erwin wasn’t sure what to do; he just knew that Levi’s mind needed to be cleared of everything else. So he did something utterly insane and unexpected.

He twisted Levi around, let go for the slightest moment, long enough to place his hands on either side of Levi’s face…

And then he kissed him.

Levi went limp, mind blanking completely for a moment. Then his thoughts were racing again, back in time to before he’d met Eren, to when he was fresh in Legion’s ranks; a time when Erwin wasn’t the commander, but was still high enough ranked.

Erwin had been in charge of Levi then and in order to tame him he had seen fit to use unorthodox measures to do so. A relationship had sparked up between them at Erwin’s urgings. It only lasted nine months but it had been long enough. Long enough for it to haunt Levi for the next two years and for it to make him nervous about starting anything with Eren after they had met.

Erwin had used him as a project to further his rank. Levi had been scared of doing the same thing to Eren or of even making him feel like that was the case. But things had worked out in the end.

Which is why Levi suddenly came to his senses and knocked Erwin to the ground with a swift kick to the stomach. “What the fuck!?” He exclaimed. “What the ever loving fuck!?”

“Something had to be done to stop your tantrum.” Erwin said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“So you kiss me!? That is in no way logical!”

“Then why did you come to me? Of everyone on this ship; Hanji, your squad, your _husband_ ; why me? Explain that logic.”

“I-I…” Levi lost his words.

“You can’t, can you? I can’t say that I can explain myself either. The best I can do is say that I’ve always been one for deviation, especially where you’re concerned.”

Levi glared. “Fuck you.”

“Once upon a time, I did.”

Levi growled and then stormed off, middle fingers held high. But he felt oddly better about it all. Now he was just left with telling Eren about this little mishap.

Upon arriving back to their room Eren was waking, seated on the side of the bed looking a bit worried. Probably wondering where Levi was. A relieved grin sprouted when he turned to look at Levi in the doorway.

“I needed to speak with Erwin.” Levi explained. “It didn’t go as planned.”

Eren yawned and flopped back onto the bed. They’d always been openly honest with each other, so Levi just laid it all out. “I was a bit of a mess. He kissed me so I’d calm down.” He deadpanned.

That woke Eren up better than any cup of coffee ever would. The brunette was off the bed in milliseconds and shoving past Levi out the door. “Eren!” Levi called after him.

“Don’t worry.” Eren paused in the hall. “I won’t kill him...this time.” And he disappeared around the corner.

Kill him he did not. But Erwin was spotted later on sporting a very nasty looking black eye and had an obvious limp in his step. And Eren kept a hand on Levi in some way all day long.


	63. Titan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judgement day is at hand.

**_Yellow Thirteen’s body vanished into the skies, never to return to Earth. Only a single handkerchief fluttered down from the place he had disappeared._ **

**_The faint scent of perfume._ **

**_The barkeep’s daughter had joined me in following the squadron and we’d come this far. We each had our own thoughts as we buried that handkerchief._ **

**_It no longer mattered whose grave it was, Thirteen or Four’s. Their memories were blurred together as one and left reality as though they had been a dream._ **

**_The terms of surrender had been accepted that day._ **

**_The war was over._ **

_____________________________

It was early in the morning when the squad met in the briefing room. If all went well this would be the last mission for a long time. They were going to go over what the plan was one more time.

On the screen before them was a schematic and aerial view for a large facility.

Titan, as it had come to be termed. They look at the blueprint carefully, memorizing it well.

“So as we all know, some of the officers were able to escape when we attacked Stohess.” Erwin began. “Now they have taken over Titan, the super weapon that until now was still under development.”

“Essentially, it’s a missile base.” Hanji chimed in. “It was designed for the same purpose as Stonewall, just on a larger scale. The only way to destroy it is highly dangerous, because you have to do so from _inside_ the facility itself. There are three missile port grooves; here, here, and here. Somewhere in each is a generator.”

“These must be taken out first in order to access the central heat vent, which is how you get access to the central silo where a giant missile is housed. We’ll need Eren, Mikasa, and Ymir to each take out a generator. We’ll need Levi to be on standby somewhere nearby to take out the missile.”

“The plan is this,” Erwin addressed Levi. “An infiltration unit is going in and will secure your escape route, but they need the generators to be offline, so they can get control of the sub control room. You’ll have to trust that they will get you out again.”

“I won’t lie though…this could very well be your last mission. Just remember, all of you, we’ll need heroes after the war, too. I want you all back in one piece.” He saluted them for what might be the last time and they saluted in return. “Dismissed!”

_____________________________

Eren wasn’t sure how he felt about this. One of his best friends, a trusted comrade, himself, and his husband were all about to go straight into the heart of the most dangerous facility on the planet. They were going to fly jets through tiny corridors at high speeds, not knowing what awaited them inside.

His husband was going to have mere seconds to escape the blast of a huge missile that he had to blow up in a confined area. And his being able to escape relied completely on a group of elite ground troops taking over the control room and opening the missile silo. That didn’t sit well with him. There was too much that could go wrong, too much left to chance. Eren’s nerves were a wreck; his own mind filled with too many worries for him to consider himself fit to fly.

He wasn’t even sure Levi was in the right state of mind to get in a jet anymore, either. He’d just killed his uncle and basically been molested by Erwin; his mind was haunted by memories of his past and thoughts of the future. It was too much to have on the mind when any pilot, even the most experienced of them, was about to fly into the most dangerous mission of their life.

But Eren knew at the same time that if this mission were to be a success, the only ones who could do the job were the ones who had been assigned to it. His other comrades, his squadmates were capable pilots, yes, but none of them were cut out for the mission to take out Titan. Flying through tight corridors took a certain finesse and calm that the others did not possess.

This did not mean that Eren was happy or comfortable with any of it though and he told Levi as much.

“It will be fine.” His husband had responded, placing a gentle hand upon his back and rubbing softly.

Eren had sighed. “I’m sure it will be, but that doesn’t make me feel any better about it. I can’t lose you. The thought of that scatters my brain.” Tears had pricked Eren’s eyes at the thought.

“And how do you think I feel knowing that the same thing could happen to you?” Levi looked deep into his eyes. “I don’t like it either. But we made a pledge. We promised we’d offer ourselves up for the betterment of humanity, to save the lives of those in Rose and Maria, and the innocents of Sina. We’re so close to that. Just a little longer Eren and then we can have our future. I promise.”

Levi had pulled him close after that, had just held him. They both hoped deep down it wouldn’t be the last time they got to have a moment like this. Unfortunately, it was interrupted by a knock on the door. Levi answered it to find Armin standing there.

“I don’t mean to intrude…I just…I know this mission is dangerous. I wanted the chance to…just in case. I don’t want to…” Armin struggled to get the words out.

“I understand.” Levi cut him off. “Come in.”

Levi had made to leave, but Armin had grabbed his wrist. “Mikasa said she would be here shortly as well. She and I had talked about this before, but I want to make it clear. You don’t always have to go when we want to spend time with Eren. You’re part of our makeshift family now, too. Please stay.”

Levi was about to retort when Armin added quietly so Eren couldn’t hear, “And no, we don’t feel obligated just because you’re Eren’s husband. We want to be closer with you. We always have, but felt like you didn’t. This might be your last chance to give it a shot. So what do you say, sir?”

Mikasa appeared behind him just about then and he turned to acknowledge her. Armin gave her a look that told her what was going on. She looked at him wanting to know his answer to the question as well.

“I say…none of this ‘sir’ business. I’m not that old. Call me Levi and get yourselves in here.”


	64. Operation Judgement Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One for the History books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two more chapters after this. I'm gonna cry!

**-Operation Judgment Day-**

**-Location: Ehrmich Islands-**

**-North Western Sina Coastline-**

**-Sept.26.2016-**

**-0800hrs-**

**-Partly Cloudy -**

**-Mission Objective: Destroy Titan.-**

_____________________________

Seagulls flew gracefully over the islands and the surrounding waters. The seas appeared gray in the dull morning light with the clouds that filled the skies above. A massive fortress, seemingly impenetrable lay beneath the unknowing gulls.

That day, meteors fell from the heavens, plunging to the Earth in fiery wonder. Trails of black smoke and ash followed them as they plummeted into the seas. The fortress below shuddered with power.

The Titan had awoken.

From its ports, missiles launched, battling the shots that heaven had fired. A beast made to take on the gods above, who would send down fiery blasts in their rage to destroy the beast that man had made.

But alas to the south, those whom the gods seemed to favor approached. Streaking through the skies, they flew, ready to kill the beast and the demons that guarded its skies.

_____________________________

**_Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector…_ **

_____________________________

“Sky-Eye here. All aircraft report in.”

One by one the call signs of those going into this battle were listed off; the members of the Wings of Freedom Squadron reporting in last.

“Preparations are complete.” Hanji reported. “Ready yourselves for battle. All aircraft into position.”

Levi hung back, staying toward the rear of the others. It would be Ymir who went in first, followed shortly by Eren, and then Mikasa, as they took out the generators. Only then was Levi to move into the action.

The number of enemy jets that greeted them was surprisingly large. It mostly consisted of the remainder of the Scarface squad, nothing more than petty stragglers in reality. The true members of that once fearsome squad were dead or had long deserted the cause. These pilots would prove to be no true issue at all.

Perhaps the most important part of Erwin’s plan for this mission was that all jets going into battle be outfitted with the same blue stripe, meaning every jet there now looked exactly like the Freedom squads’, just with different numbers. This did not mean they were part of the Freedom squad, but it was meant to strike fear into the hearts of those who would be battling them in the skies.

Levi kept himself out of any precarious fighting, but he couldn’t resist taking out at least a few of the enemy fighters. He had to make himself look like he was busy after all. If he just looped around off to the side of the main fight it would draw unwanted attention.

The ground troops who were infiltrating the base below had been patched into the coms of only the pilots who would be performing the precarious portions of the mission; meaning only Levi, Eren, Mikasa, and Ymir could hear what was being said by them.

“Bravo one here. All teams have reached the thirteenth floor. But we can’t get into the sub control room, because the lock is electronic. We’ll hold our position until the generators are down.”

“Shit, here they come!” The sound of gun fire crackled through the com.

“Use your hand grenades!”

“Why do they have a flamethrower?!”

“Watch out, over by the stairs!”

The others would be moving into position now. As much as Levi wanted to help, there was nothing to do but stick to the plan from here.

_____________________________

Eren, Mikasa, and Ymir had taken off far later than the others. This meant that just as the ground troops were radioing in, they were entering the fray. They shot below the ongoing dog fight, readying themselves to line up with their intended targets. Ymir broke from the formation to line up her flight path on the back portion of the facility. She had the easiest route with far fewer obstructions than either of the other paths.

_____________________________

Eren watched the meteors fall. He wasn’t sure if it was a bad omen or not. The sun had finally begun to peek through the clouds as well, lighting everything up despite the clouds that still lingered. He could see the facility before him, could tell where his path of entry would be. He watched Ymir break away and he prepared himself.

He made sure his flight path was straight and began to descend. If he wasn’t lined up properly and straightened out, one of his wings would catch on the walls and he would lose control, resulting in a fiery death. Armin had been able to find new schematics a few days prior, letting Eren know that his generator would actually be off to the side of the main path and that he would have to scoot over in order to make the shot and exit safely.

It wouldn’t be an easy shot or maneuver. The corridor came up fast and soon he was immersed inside a tunnel, light flickering in from the gaps above as he sped through it. One wrong move now and it was over.

He could see the area that held the generator coming up quick on his left. He locked on, firing a missile to blow it up at the same time he changed corridors. He came out the back of the facility completely unscathed.

“Tango two here. We need back up on passageway 6!”

“Someone block that elevator!”

_____________________________

Mikasa did not like that there were meteors falling as they went into battle. She sent up a silent prayer as Ymir split off and she watched Eren line up and descend. She did a fly over before she spun back around and prepared to go in herself, seeing Eren come out the back as she turned. That was a good thing.

She had no pathways to change over to, but she did have to avoid crashing at the end, because her corridor ramped up after the area that held the generator.

She flew low entering the corridor slower than she would have liked, but she was playing it safe. The generator came up fast and she fired before maneuvering up the ramp and coming out the back.

“The enemy has us trapped near panel B! Our path of retreat is blocked!” More gunfire.

“Charlie one here. We can’t hold them off any longer! We have to pull back!”

“Don’t give up yet!”

_____________________________

Ymir knew she had been given the easiest of the generators and she was fine with that. She knew that her skills were good, but not nearly what Mikasa or Eren’s were. The meteors had put her on edge at first, but now she paid them little attention.

She was readying her flight path when Mikasa shot from the back of the facility. She couldn’t mess this up.

“Have they blown up the last generator yet?”

She saw two pillars ahead and centered herself between them. She dipped low to avoid the crosswalks above the groove and locked on to the generator that appeared before her. She watched as suddenly parts of the facility began to move, revealing missiles that had been hidden from sight. This wasn’t good.

She was quick to get herself out of there. Radioing in what she had seen.

“The lock is open! Get in there and open that panel!”

_____________________________

Levi was not happy to hear the alarm go off in his cockpit. Nor to see that Eren, Mikasa, and Ymir were flying over the facility taking out missiles that had somehow been kept hidden.

The vent was open now; the door short circuiting after the generators had gone out. His only worry was that it wasn’t sounding good in the control room. There was only his part left to do.

He took several deep breathes, trying to calm his nerves. He could die here, though. This could be the end of it all. He hoped that wasn’t the case.

He dropped altitude, lining himself up with the vent. It was nearly pitch black inside. He had only the dim light ahead in the missile silo to guide him. He kept his jet steady, heart racing in his chest. The missile came into view and his radar locked onto the massive thing.

He aimed for the top of the silo where the panel should be opening shortly. He took one last, deep breath and fired, closing his eyes as he hurtled toward closed panels.

_____________________________

“Target destroyed!” Hanji yelled as Titan’s massive missile exploded beneath them all, destroying part of the facility.

“Do you see him?!” Eren called frantically. “Levi, are you there!?”

Smoke billowed forth into the air, blocking the skies and everyone’s line of sight.

“Does anyone see him!?” Eren yelled.

But no one responded. Static met him when he tried to reach Levi on the coms once more and no one had the heart to say a word to him in comfort, not even Hanji. His frantic cries began to subside, replaced instead by the sound of a broken, disbelieving whisper.

“No…He can’t be…”

Everyone was silent.

Then, as suddenly as they had fallen silent, someone cried out.

“There he is! We’ve got Ace on radar!”

And sure enough, out of the smoke flew a jet and upon its wing was a blue stripe and in bolded white lettering, the number zero-zero.

“Bravo one here. Is the jet that flew in alright?”

“Yes.” Hanji answered. “Yes, he’s fine. I’ve got visual on him right now.”

Eren’s heart swelled with joy and he cried in happiness. The others raised their voices in loud cheers as he joined them on their way back to base.

“So does this mean we won the war?” Sasha asked.

“I don’t know.” A random pilot answered. “History always determines the winner. But if there is one thing that I believe is certain, it’s that heroes really do exist. We just saw one and now he’s coming home.”


	65. Rebuilding & Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last official chapter before the epilogue!!

It was a sunny day when Zackly stood before cameras and radio microphones alike, broadcasting to the Three Sisters Territory letting them know the war had ended.

It was a sunny day when people cheered and danced and sang in joy of no longer having to live in fear.

It was a sunny day when soldiers and pilots drank and swapped stories no longer worrying of alarms sending them to battle.

It was the next day that people worried over how to rebuild the world around them. Their buildings were burned and decimated, their towns and homes destroyed. Their families had been broken, their lives changed forever, and now they had to figure out what was next.

Legion forces scattered and provided support and hands to help. Soon enough rubble was cleared and new buildings built. Elections were held and funds flowed. Trade was reestablished and a treaty between the Three Sisters was created.

The terms were this:

Titan was to be destroyed completely.

Legion was to be the standing military for all three countries.

Since Sina had been hit just as hard as Rose and Maria, they did not have to pay any money. Those responsible for the war did. They were not executed, instead they were put to work doing manual labor to help rebuild what they had broken. Then they would be locked away in a Legion, maximum security prison.

All was as it should have been and time passed more slowly.

_____________________________

Never before had Erwin been in this situation. The war was over and he was elated. Reconstruction was well underway and he had been pardoned of his war crimes. But this, the paperwork and people before him…this was new.

He had expected it really, but it still struck him deep.

“You’re sure?” He asked the two men before him. “You are certain this is what you want? Because once I sign these forms there is no going back.”

“Yes.” Grey eyes gazed into his very soul. They’d known each other for so long. Erwin knew so much about this man before him. He wasn’t sure that this was for the best, but he would wish them well on their way.

“And you too then? You’re certain?” He addressed the other.

“Yes, sir. It’s been an honor to serve, but this is what we want.”

Erwin shook his head in defeat and reached for his pen. “I do hope you’ll both come visit.” He said as he scratched his signature on the dotted lines. “It won’t be the same without you.”

He stood up, giving them each their copy of the documents he’d just signed. “Make sure you get these filed at the main office, otherwise it won’t go through.” He cleared his throat to keep from crying.

“I’ll be sure not to tell Hanji until you’ve both had time to leave the premises. You know they won’t take this well.”

“Thank you.”

Erwin looked at him in shock. Never had those words been heard coming from those lips. He stood in awe as the two men saluted him a final time and made their way out the door. A sad smile took over his face then.

They truly would be missed.

_____________________________

Bags were packed, but no face to face good-byes were said. The pair instead left behind a letter addressed to everyone, wishing them all the best and letting them know that once they were settled they’d be in touch. It wasn’t the ideal way to leave. Eren knew that Mikasa would be pissed and that Armin would likely cry; likewise, Levi knew that Hanji would have his head.

But it was necessary. They needed time alone, to adjust to a domestic life on their own. Eren had to be certain that Levi would be okay. They had a general plan of attack: find a home, find work, and adjust to a slower pace of things. And once they were settled they’d let everyone know they were okay and give out contact information.

There was nothing easy or simple about it. Fact of the matter was that Levi likely had some serious issues that needed to be dealt with; Eren probably had some too. So they would seek out professional help on that front and when they felt the time was right they would apply to adopt.

The day that they were approved Eren couldn’t stop calling to let people know. Two days later there was a party held for them, the squad and their other friends from the Rogue were all in attendance.

Six months later they were welcoming a small girl and a diapered boy into their home.

Levi had never seen Eren look so happy.


	66. Epilogue - The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi receives a letter years after the war has ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh! This is it! This is the end. I want to say thank you to everyone who's made it this far. I hope you've enjoyed it. Also it might be a while until I post anything else, if I even have the opportunity to do so. I graduated college back in December and much of my time is spent trying to find decent employment right now. I don't live in the best location so that makes things harder... But hopefully I will be able to continue writing. God willing, I will post again sometime in the future, no matter how distant it may be.
> 
> And just to make sure this is clear: All those bold, italicized sections where portions of a letter.

_ Ten Years Later: _

**_The once familiar scent of burning jet fuel has long since faded. What once was the runway for the Scarface Squadron is now a local highway again._ **

**_I write you this letter now…_ **

**_I know it must have brought him some type of joy to have an opponent like you, at the end of such a meaningless war._ **

**_That is what I would like to believe, at least._ **

**_Only you, the one who shot him down, can confirm this._ **

**_And so I write to you…_ **

_____________________________

The letter was not signed, nor did it have a return address. It had brought back far more memories than the reader cared to admit. Memories of loss and love and sorrow and guilt; of pain and worry and happiness and strife.

In an instant he had relived the war, relived every moment that had allowed him to get to this moment in life. This moment where he was reading a letter written by some unknown boy, who would now be a young man; a young man, who had hated him, had blamed him for the death of his family and had come to see his late uncle like no one else could have. A young man who had a question that could not be answered, because there was no damn return address. Perhaps there was some way of finding this person even still. He had connections after all, perhaps he could use them.

“What’s that?” The voice startled him.

“Christ, Eren. I’m too old for you to be scaring me like that.”

“You’re barely over forty.” Eren’s face scrunched up in amusement, a crooked smile playing on his lips.

“You’re never too old to have a heart attack.” Levi scoffed.

“Says who?”

“Says my doctor.”

“Papa?” A voice interrupted from behind them.

“What is it, pumpkin?” Eren asked.

“I’m too old to be called pumpkin, dad. I’m fourteen, now.”

“You’ll always be my pumpkin. Now what is it?”

“Kellie wanted to know if I could come over for a while.”

Levi narrowed his eyes at her and raised a brow. “As in the girl you hated five months ago after she told everyone you had a crush on what’s his face?”

“Uh…yes?” She seemed nervous now.

“Why would you want anything to do with her?” He pressed.

“Papa.” She whined. “Why can’t you just leave it?”

“Because it doesn’t make sense that you’d want to hang out with someone who’s mean to you.”

“Can I go, dad?” She pulled her best puppy dog eyes on Eren, ignoring Levi.

“Well…” Eren glanced at Levi. Levi just gave him a bitch face that screamed _don’t you dare fall for this again_.

“I guess so. But be back before six!” He called as she ran for the door before Levi could burst.

“Really?” Levi crossed his arms over his chest, letter still in hand.

“You never told me what that was?” Eren changed the subject.

“It’s nothing. Just a letter.”

“From who?”

“A boy.”

“Do we know him?”

“Not exactly.”

Levi handed over the letter and watched as Eren scanned it. “Oh.” He said quietly after he was done. “Are you okay?” He knew that remembering could be triggering for Levi sometimes. He’d woken many times in the night to find his husband sleep walking, crouching around corners as though a threat lied on the other side. Sometimes it was night terrors instead. Eren would get a fist to the face or a kick to his ass and would have to struggle to wake Levi up as he cried out for the men who weren’t there to stop.

All of this had begun after the war was over. When they had filed for honorary discharge, they’d found a nice house in Rose, funnily enough on a street named Jaeger, and gotten started on an apple pie life. Eren stayed home and Levi got a job in a local factory. They each got a check from Legion in the mail each month as well.

It was several months later that the nightmares hit. Eren had even taken him to a therapist for it. They had told them that Levi’s mind was no longer distracted by the war. That he had been kept preoccupied from his underlying issues because there was so much going on.

He continued to seek therapy and it was finally under control, but from time to time something would happen that would bring it back for a short time. Adopting had helped as well. It gave Levi something else to focus on besides his daily work at the factory.

They’d both been thrilled to bring the little girl and baby boy into their lives. Both were victims of the war who had lost their families. Now it was as if they didn’t recall any of that time. Eren was thankful they had been young enough not to remember.

“Yeah.” Levi finally said. “I’m good.”

And when he met Eren’s eyes, Eren knew he meant it. Levi took the letter from Eren and placed it back in the envelope. “I’m gonna get Armin to see if he can track down whoever sent it. I’d like to meet them face to face.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged. Matter of fact Armin is-”

“Uncle Armin!” Their son called out from the front door.

The two shared a look. “Did you hear the doorbell?”

“No.”

Armin stepped into the room with a squealing boy in his arms.

“You’re early.” Eren pointed out as he glanced at the clock.

Armin shrugged. “I got done with my lunch meeting early. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and come over.” He set the boy down and watched as he bounced about at his feet.

“Someone got into the cookies, didn’t they?” Eren eyed the bouncing rascal.

The fit of giggles was enough of an answer.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Eren said, “Apparently I need to find a higher place for the cookie jar.”

Armin laughed as Eren stalked out the room, the sugar rushed kid at his heels.

“So, how have you been, sir?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Levi?”

“At least a thousand more.” Armin grinned.

“Well, if I have to put up with that, then you can at least do me a favor.”

“And what kind of favor would that be, sir?” He gave cheeky grin.

Levi glared before extending the envelope in his hands. “I got this letter…”

_____________________________

Autumn was upon them if the chill in the air was anything to go by. Armin had said the person he was looking for would be at the café on the corner of Fifth and Java Street in Mitras that morning at eight.

It was seven fifty-three according to Levi’s watch and there were only a handful of people in the café, so far all of them women. It had been Levi’s understanding that the writer of the letter was a young man. Armin had said as much as well, but he was beginning to wonder.

Two minutes later a young man matching the description Armin had given him headed inside. Now Levi had to determine how to approach the situation. The young man was under the impression that an old acquaintance from school was seeking him out. Levi was most certainly not an old school acquaintance.

Might as well get it over with, so Levi headed inside himself. He was happy to be out of the chill that November had brought them. The café was just the right kind of warm and the smell of baked goods was relaxing. The young man was sitting in the far back booth just as expected. Levi ordered himself some tea and then approached the booth.

Rather than be courteous, he simply slid right in like he belonged there. Which he did, it was just that the young man didn’t know that.

Whoever he was, he didn’t react right away. He seemed rather taken aback if anything. Then he politely cleared his throat and explained that he was expecting someone and that the booth was taken.

“I know.” Levi replied. “I arranged this meeting.”

The young man seemed confused now.

“My name’s Levi.” He explained. “I used to be a pilot in the Legion Air Force.”

The young man still didn’t seem to realize what was going on. “Thank you for your service, but I don’t understand what that has to do with anything.”

“My jet had a blue stripe and a white double-oh on it. I believe you wrote me a letter.”

Levi watched as understanding bloomed in his eyes. “How did you-?”

“Find you?” Levi leaned back. “I still have connections inside Legion.”

He just sat there looking rather stunned.

“I want to apologize for what happened in Quinta. I had no control over the situation and I lost my squad that day. The jet that crashed, I shot down in anger and you suffered because of it. I won’t ask for forgiveness. That is something you have to decide that you wish to give on your own. But I believe you asked a question in your letter.”

“I-I…I didn’t expect an answer or an apology.”

“Obviously not, since you didn’t put a return address on the envelope. But I’d like to give you an answer all the same. To any other questions you might have as well.”

“O-Okay then.”

“I guess it would be best to start at the beginning of what I know. Yellow Thirteen as you call him…He was my uncle.” Levi sadly began. “His name was Kenny.”

He talked and the other listened. When their time was up, the young man needing to leave, phone numbers were exchanged and agreements to be in touch were made.

And if you came to a small Rose town around the holidays and you happened to be on Jaeger Street, you would be met with a most pleasant sight. A young man would be in the front yard of one of the houses, two older men with him and a lady on his arm. And in the yard with them would be a teen age girl, a young boy, and two little girls, all running and playing with glee.

At the house next door would be a woman with black hair and Asian features, a toddler of her own held in her arms as she made her way toward the small group. Across the street would be a man with blonde hair pulled back and glasses upon his face heading to join them all as well. And a short time later a few cars would arrive, each filled with familiar faces and happy smiles.

They had all found their peace, their joy, their end to the war. And together they would share it.

**Author's Note:**

> So this thing is only about half way written (30 chapters) right now. I will post once, maybe twice a week depending on how I feel and how much time I have, and will continue to work on the remaining second half of this fic. Get ready for the ride folks!


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